
Qass 
Book 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 



GENERAL HISTORY 

n 

OF 



SHELBY COUNTY 
MISSOURI 




CHICAGO 

HENRY TAYLOR & COMPANY 

1911 

HENRY TAYLOR, JR. W. H. BINGHAM 









COPYRIGHT 15111 

BY 

HENBY TAYLOR & COMPANY 



©aA283708 



FOREWORD 

History is the essence of iuminierable biographies. — CarhjJc 

The invasion and conquest of a wilderness ; the wresting of a vast domain of 
hill and valley, forest and prairie, from its nomadic and unproductive savage deni- 
zens; its transformation into an empire rich in all the elements of modern civiliza- 
tion, — basking in the smiles of pastoral abundance, resounding with the noise of 
fruitful industry, busy with a mighty volume of multiform and far-reaching com- 
merce, and bright with the luster of high mental, moral and spiritual life — the home 
of an enterprising, progressive, all-daring people, as they founded and have built it, 
is tlie theme of this volume. 

Its pages teem with biographies of many of the progressive men of Shelby 
county — 'those who laid the foundations of its greatness and those who have Iniilt 
and are building on the superstructure — and is adorned with portraits of numbers 
of them. 

It also gives a compreliensive survey of the numerous industries and lines of 
productive energy which distinguish the people of the county at the present time 
and those in which they were engaged in all past periods since the settlement of the 
region began. And so far as past history and present conditions disclose it, the work 
indicates the trend of the county's activities and the goal ■(\-hich they aim to reach. 

How trite, oft-told and well-worn seems the story herein briefly chronicled! 
And yet how full of suggestiveness, interest and incitement is it all ! It opens 
impressively to view the mighty field for earnest endeavor and successful striving 
there is in the boundless realm of opportunity that is called "The Great American 
Eepublic," and has been aptly pronounced "The last great charity of God to the 
human race." It emphasizes anew the value of courage, self-reliance, industry, 
devotion to diity and firm and sturdy manhood and womanhood. 

The story might well be taken as that of Man himself in his contest with 
Nature on a gigantic theater of action. Poetry sparkles. Heroism glows. Comedy 
gambols. Tragedy darkens in its texture, and the golden thread of sentiment runs 
brightly through its woof. It is, in all essentials, an epitome of American history, 
too. Wide gulfs of time and space are compassed in its range and made as naught. 
Since the morning hymn and the evening anthem first rose in hope from its primeval 
solitudes, distant countries have become near neighbors, the Atlantic has been 
reduced to a narrow frith across which the Old World and the New shake hands ; 
the Pacific has been bound to it with hoops of steel, and our own East and West 
have been brought so close together that they look into each other's windows. 

The life herein sketched began with the goose quill ; it continues with the type- 
writer; it came in under the tallow dip; it goes forward under the electric light; 

iii 



iv rOEEWOED 

it dwelt at first by well and springhouse; it now abides with cold storage, artificial 
ice and liquid air; it has quit the stage coach for the palace car, the sail boat for the 
ocean greyhound, the post rider for the telegraph and telephone, the saddle horse 
and the gig for the automobile. And now, condemning all more solid and sub- 
stantial elements of intercommunication, it even dares make the atmosphere its 
medium in wireless telegraphy and aerial navigation. In all this vast development 
and progress Shelby county has borne no childish, but a soldier's, part, and it is the 
aim of this work to preserve in a permanent form the record which proves that fact. 
The special thanks of the publishers are due and are warmly tendered to Mr. 
and Mrs. H. J. Simmons, of Clarence, for their masterful preparation of the general 
history of the county which enriches the volume ; to Jlr. Vernon L. Drain, of 
Shelbyville, for his excellent chapter on the "Bethel Colony'' and his sketch of the 
Shelby County Eailroad; to ^Ir. W. 0. L. Jewett for the chapter on "Shelbina"; 
to Eev. John H. AVood for as^sistanec on the history of the churches in the county; 
to Gen. J. "William Towson for help in reviewing portions of the work, and to many 
other persons whose aid is highly appreciated but who are too numerous to be men- 
tioned specifically by name. AVithout the valuable and judicious assistance of all 
these persons, those who are named and those who are not, it would have been 
impossible to comjjile a history of the completeness and high character this one is 
believed to have. The book is now submitted to the judgment of the public with 
no other voice to proclaim its worth save that of its ow-n inherent merits, whatever 

they may be. The Publishers. 



CONTENTS 
CHAPTER I. 

Page 
Discovery and Early Settlements — Log Cabin Days — Settlers of 1833 — A Sur- 
veying Party — Cholera Epidemics — The First Election — A Postoffice and 
Store Installed — Shelby County Formed and Organized and Some Events 
Which Followed — Indians — Wild Animals and Game — The Pioneer Wed- 
dings — Pioneer Ministers — First Settlements Made in Timber — Pioneers, 
Pioneer Homes and Comforts — Agricultural Implements — Fishing 1 

CHAPTER II. 

Early History — The Name — Important Dates of Public Notices — Important 
Proceedings 1836 County Court — First Circuit Court — The First Attorney 
Fisticuff in County Court — Miscellaneous News from Early Court Dock- 
ets — The First Shelby County Election — August Election, 1836 — August 
Election, 1838— August Election, 1839 21 

CHAPTER III. 

List of 1835 Settlers — Naming of the Streams — First Coroner's Inquest — A 
Lost Man — "New York" Shelby County — The New Courthouse — Pioneer 
Mills— The First Roads— "Bee Trails"— Settlers in Shelby, 1837— The 
First Bridge — The First Homicide 29 

CHAPTER IV. 

Crops in Early Forties — Chinch Bug Year — The Sixteenth Section — German 
Settlement — Change of County Line — Mail Facilities Improved — A Few 
Things that Interested the Settlers — Civilization's Sure Advance — Sec- 
ond Homicide in the County — The First County Conviction — Jefferson 
Shelton — Jonathan Michael — George Liggett — Miss Aleina Upton — Stock 
Raising and Shipping — First Jail — California Emigrants — Elections, 1840 
— Presidential Election — August Election, 1844 39 



vi CONTENTS 

CHAPTER V. 

Page 

Heterogeneous — Election of 1852 — Political Campaign of 1856 — Presidential 
Election, 1856— The "Know Nothings"— Election of 1858— Slavery Days— 
1860 Presidential Campaign — The Situation in 1860 — Stirring Times After 
the Election — Incendiary Talk 52 

CHAPTER VI. 

The County's War Record — The Mormon War — The Iowa War — The War of 
1861 — Governor Jackson Refuses to Respond — The Hunnewell Meeting — 
The Flag Raising Period — The First Federal Troops — First Union Com- 
pany Organized — Salt River Bridge Burned — Join Green's Company — 
Green Takes Shell)ina — Report of Colonel N. G. Williams, Third Iowa 
Infantry — What the Kansas Officers Said — Second Burning of Salt River 
Bridge — Shelby County Confederate Troops — Movement of Union Forces 
— General Grant in Shelby — Secession of Missouri — County Court Meeting 
— Changes in Coimty Officials 64 

CHAPTER VII. 

Missouri State Militia Organize — Bushwhacking in the County — The Bush- 
whacking Near Walkersville — Stockade Built Around Courthouse — "Spe- 
cial Order No. 30" — Several Changes in Positions — John L. Owen Killed — 
Shelby County Men Executed— The 1862 Election 84 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Many Join Porter's Command — Federals Hold the County — Bill Anderson 

Visits Shelby— Fifty-one Killed at Ceutralia, Missouri— The 1864 Election 92 

CHAPTER IX. 

Ousting the Officers — Murders and Homicides — Murder of George Queary — 
"The Dale-Phelps Tragedy" — Bruce Green Kills Calvin Wai-ren — A 
Negro Murder Case — The Robber Johnson- — The Great Benjamin Will 
Case — The Will — Indicting Rebel Preachers — Registration of Voters — 
News From Headquarters — The War is Over — The Drake Constitution — 
After the War — Robbery of the County Treasury — Politics and Election 
of 1870— Registration in 1870— Census" of 1880— Flood of 1876 102 



CONTENTS vii 

CHAPTER X. 

Page 
The Agricultural Society of Shelby County — The Shelby County Agricultural 
and Mechanical Association — The Shelbina Fair Association — Local Op- 
tion and Temperance — Transjjortation Facilities — The Hannibal & St. Joe 
Eailroad— The Building of the Shelby County Railway— The First Elec- 
tric Railroad — Chief Pursuits and Surplus Products 119 



CHAPTER XI. 

Government Surveys — Original Townships — County and Township Systems — 
Organization of Townships — Municipal Townships of Shelby County — 
Tiger Fork Township — Salt River Township — Clay Township — Taylor 
Township — Bethel Township — Jefferson Township — Black Creek Town- 
ship — North River Township — Lentner Township 136 



CHAPTER Xn. 

Newspapers of Shelby County — The Shelbyville Spectator — The Shelby 
County Weekly — The Shelby County Herald — The Shelby County Times 
—The Shelbyville Guard— The Shelbina Gazette— The Shelbina Index and 
Torchlight — The Shelbina Democrat — First Paper in Clarence — The Clar- 
ence Courier — The Clarence Republican — The Hunnewell Enterprise — The 
Hunnewell Echo — The Enterprise Resumes Publication — The Hunnewell 
Bee— The Bethel Sun— The Missouri Sun 148 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Some Shelby County Murders and Suicides — William Switzer Murdered in 1864 
■ — Pat McCarty Assassinated — The Buford Tragedy — Murder of Nicholas 
Brandt — Judge Joseph Hunolt Assassinated — A Leonard Tragedy — Shel- 
bina Mayor Dies Suddenly^M. Lloj^d Cheuvront Shot — Suicide at Clar- 
ence — The Stacy Murder and Suicide 155 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Shelby County — Census of Shelby County — Clarence — Shelbyville — Shelbina — 
Hunnewell — The Temple of Justice — Courthouse Burned — Three Clarence 
Fires — Shelby County Congressman 162 



viii COXTENTS 

CHAPTER XV. 

Page 
Schools, Colleges and Churches — Shelbina Collegiate Institute — Shelbina Pub- 
lic School — The Macon District Academy at Clarence — College at Leonard 
— The Independent Holiness School at Clarence 178 



PORTRAIT INDEX 



B Mc 

Page , Page 

Biirckhardt, John G 518 McBride, Elias A., and wife 556 ' 

Burnett, Alexander 583 ^ McCully, Dr. John M 433 ' 



c 



M 



Christine John A., and wife. . 500 ^^^^^^^^ Theodore P 309 ' 

Churchwll Francis M., and wife 510 ^^^^^. j^^^,^ ^ 548 ' 

Cooper, J. T 235 - 



Crawford, George W 487 ' 



D 



Moore, John H., and wife 433 ^ 

Morgan, David 373 . 

Morgan, John E 396 



i^ 



N 



479 



Dimmitt, Dr. Pliilip 199 

Dimmitt, Frank 371 

Dimmitt, Lee 440 Noll, Melchior. . . 

Dimmitt, Prince 319' 

Drain, Vernon L 337 '^ p 

F Parsons, S. G 379^ 

I, Phillips, Eugene C 456 

Forman, Thomas W 449 ^ Pickett, Hedgeman, and wife 464 

Freeland, Arthur L 605 ^ Pollard, Dr. Henry M 406 ' 

Funk, Henry S 526 



G 



E 



Garrison, Thomas E 503 ^eed, Thomas W. P 363 

Greenfield, Geo. W 494 ^eid, ^\llllam A 206 



H 

Hawker, Wm. M., and wife 534 

Hirrlinger, William A 565 

Holliday, James L 573 

Howell," William 600 



S 

Selsor, Hiram, and wife 541 

Siielton, Hon. N. M 387^ 

Simmons, Hon. H. Jeane 414 

Simmons, Mrs. H. J 416 



Hughes, William A 345 "■ Stribling, James 253 

Humphrey, Sen. Geo. W 355'' 

T 



Jewett, Hon. W. 0. L. 



368 



Towson, Gen. J. William 315 



W 



Lasley, Charles H 328 Will, Henry • 4*2 

Lloyd, Hon. James T 281 Wood, Eev. J. H 243 

Lvell, J E 300 "^ Woodward, Cravton 610 



IX 



INDEX OF VIEWS 

Page 
Tlie Old Mill at Walkersville (Facing) 34 "^ 

The Old Colony Church at Bethel 173 

Type of Block Hoxise Erected on Salt River 72 ' 

Eesidence of John A. Christine 593 

Home of Dr. William Keil at Bethel 176 



GENERAL INDEX 



A 

Page 

Adams, Judge Newton 257 

Alexander, Edward P 640 

AUgaier, James F 313 

Arnold, Henry 507 

Ayerg, Mort. D 430 

B 

Bailey, John T 229 

Bailey, Tilmon A 256 

Bair," Harry C 360 

Bair, Samuel J 361 

. Baker, Wesley 461 

Baker, Sanford 571 

Baker, James R 651 

Baker, Isaac N 645 

Bank of Lentner 305 

Barker, Charles S 259 

Barker, James S 470 

Barton, John S 442 

Bauer, John G 377 

Bayliss, Dr. W. M 393 

Bean, Thomas A 420 

Bethards, Kim 555 

Blackford, James G 480 

Bodwell, Forrest G 589 

Bonnel, Henry H 629 

Bostwick, William H 653 

Bower, John C 359 

Bower, August 363 

Bower, David 364 

Bower, Carl E 365 

Bower, Theodore L 366 

Bower, Walter C 374 

Browne, Sidney H., Jr 459 

Brown, John 475 

Buckman, Martin S 427 

Bue, John H 604 

Burckhardt, John G 518 

Burckhardt. John F 316 

Burnett, Alexander 582 

C 

Cadwell, Eugene M 338 

Callison, Elisha A 339 

2iii 



Page 

Calvert, Cecilius C 611 

Capp, Eobert E 611 

Carmichael, Robert L 560 

Carroll, Hansford S 498 

Carson, Dr. William 335 

Chinn, John S 513 

Christine, John A 590 

Churchwell, Francis M 510 

Citizens' Bank of Clarence 391 

Citizens' Bank of Shelby ville 322 

Clarence Savings Bank 387 

Claussen, William 516 

Cockrum. Joseph F 640 

Coe, Edward M 553 

Collier, Richard 317 

Collins, Hiram 234 

Commercial Bank of Shelbina 292 

Connaway, J. Polk 467 

Cooper, Alonzo 333 

Cooper, Jolm T 225 

Cotton. William J 613 

Cox, ilatthew M 288 

Cox, Charles T 289 

Craigmyle, Ferd 529 

Crawford, George W 487 

Crow, James F 425 

D 

Dale, John D 334 

Dale, Francis M 647 

Damrell, Edwin M 340 

Damrell, Theodore B 561 

Daniel, Dr. Joseph A 212 

Davis, John T 453 

Davis, Dr. Eli C 270 

Dempsey, Hugh 469 

Dempsey, Mark 484 

Dimmit't, Frank 271 

Dimmitt, Walter A 350 

Dimmitt, Dr. Philip 199 

Dimmitt, Lee 440 

Dimmitt, Prince 310 

Dimmitt, Marvin 627 

Douglass, Hardin 313 

Drain, Vernon L 337 



XIT 



GENERAL INDEX 



Page 

Drennan, Henry C 630 

Duncan, William L 489 

Dunlap, Andrew B 26.5 

Dunlap, Robert H 286 

Dunn, Preston, B., Sr 568 

E 

Eaton, Harrison 307 

Eaton, Henry M 311 

Echternacht,' Justus F 656 

Edelen, James 3-18 

Edwards, John D 667 

Ertel, John 485 

P 

Farmers' and Merchants' Bank of Hun- 

newell 261 

Farmers' Bank of Emden 60n 

Farmers' Bank of Leonard 635 

Farr, Fred'k M 343 

Farr, Dr. Geo. E 344 

Farrell, Judge Rufus 410 

Feelv, Theodore W 550 

Feely, Silas M 551 

Feely, Charles R 552 

Forman, Thomas W 44!1 

Forman, John 592 

Fox. William S 473 

Freeland, Arthur L 605 

Freeman, James M 335 

Frye, Edwin A 267 

Frve, John W 331 

Funk. Henry S 526 

G 

Gable. Jacob 657 

Gamble, William 443 

Garner, Charles B 504 

Garner, George B 602 

Garrison. Thomas E 503 

Gerard, Edward N. Jr., M. D 634 

Gibson, William T 547 

Gillaspy, John A 597 

(JillaspV, Richard W 603 

Gillaspy, William L 579 

Gillispio, William H 219 

Gilman. George T 422 

Glahn, Christian P 583 

Glahn, Henry F 664 

Goodwin, Richard D 609 

Gorby, Samuel 648 

Gose, John T 221 

Grant, George C 249 



Page 

Graves, Charles A 454 

Greenfield, Geo. W 494 

Griswold, Alonzo L 413 

Gunby, William K 668 

H 

Hall, Geo. W 577 

Hammond, Dr. Harry B 528 

Hamilton, James A 413 

Hamrick, Wm. L 384 

Hardy, Jesse T 246 

Harrison, James F 314 

Hart, William T 670 

Harvey, George W 663 

Hawker, Wm. M 534 

Hawkins. James W 637 

Heinze, Theodore 505 

Herron. William B 368 

Hershey, Michael 638 

Hewitt, John J 330 

Hickman, Charles A 291 

Hickman. Joseph H 393 

Hickman, Jesse H 395 

Hiles, James J 501 

Hirrlinger. William F 421 

Ilirrlinger, William A 565 

Holliday, James L 573 

Holliday, James M 563 

Hollyman, John J 615 

Hoofer, Jacob 594 

Howe, James W 455 

Howell. William 600 

Huggins, Albert F 208 

Hughes. William A 345 

Humphrey, Sen. Geo. W 355 

J 

Jackson, Robt. T 351 

Jacobs, John W 404 

Jacobs. William L 403 

Janes, William P 276 

Janes, Rov 299 

Janes. Thomas 301 

Jarrell, Jonathan 538 

.Tarrell, James Wesley 539 

Jewett, Hon. W. 0. L 368 

Johnston. Lafayette J ''--. r.'> 599 

Jones, Wade H 304 

.Ionian. Arthur E 476 

.bmlan. William A 476 

K 

Keith. John T 43G 

Keller, Peter 531 



GENERAL INDEX 



XV 



Page 

Keller, Philip, Jr 533 

Kelso, John L 515 

Kemp, Luther 587 

Kesner, W. J 643 

Kimbley, F. M 632 

Krauter, Valentine 537 



Lair, John W 278 

Laslev, Cliarlcs H 328 

Lewis, Minns H 401 

Lewis, Aaron 401 

Libbv, Harrv J 223 

Lloyd, Hon. James T 281 

Llovd. Oliver Jerre 635 

Lowman. John B 490 

Lownian, Samson B 491 

Lyell, J. E 300 

Lyell, Dr. Thomas W '211 

Mc 

McAtee, James A 280 

McBride, Elias A 556 

McCnlly, John M., M. D 423 

M 

Mas^riider, Willis J 445 

Mannel, Theodore P 309 

Martin, Charles Boggs 341 

Maupin, Hon. Rice G 235 

Maupin, William A 323 

Maupin, Marion M 439 

Maupin, John Henry 646 

Mears, Samuel H 660 

Melson, James H 305 

Merrin, Jacob H 548 

Miles, John S 338 

Miller, Henrv G 558 

Million, Burrell 395 

Mitchell, Thomas D 478 

Moore, George W 520 

Moore, John H 433 

Moran, Judge James F 572 

Morgan, J. R 396 

Morgan, David 373 

Morgan. William W 203 

Morgan, David, Jr 203 

Morgan, James H 204 

N 

Neuschafer, John 533 

Noll, Melchior 479 

Nothnagol, Valentine 519 





Page 

Oaks, Milton P 639 

O'Bryan, J. L 311 

O'Brvan, George W 447 

O'Daniel, John A 273 

O'Donnell, Richard 433 

Old Bank of Shelbina 363 

Oliver, Andrew J 636 

Orr, James C 653 

Osburn, Morris 576 



Parsons, S. G 379 

Peoples, John 585 

Peoples, William Z. T ' 635 

Perry, Judge John T 333 

Perry, Benjamin F 531 

Perry, Oliver Commodore 650 

Peterman, Lewis J 418 

Phipps, William H 514 

Phillips, Eugene C 456 

Pickett, Hedgeman 464 

Pollard. Dr. Henry M 406 

Powell, Hugo 450 

Prange, Harry H 546 

Priest, Thomas E 524 

Priest, John C 500 

Pritchard, Walter M 385 

Puckctt. Thomas L 237 



Q 



Quigley, John L. 



499 



R 

Ragsdale, James E 236 

Rtith.fen, Henry 511 

Rathjen. Harman 536 

Raines, William C . . . . .' 631 

Ray, Elmer B 620 

Reardon, Peter J 398 

Reed, Thomas W. P 362 

Reid, William A 206 

Rice, Thomas J 318 

Rickev, John C 390 

Ridge, Joseph R 232 

Ridings, Joseph L -108 

IJoff, George 244 

RofF, Thomas 355 

Roy, Dr. James E 393 

Rutter, Michael E 446 



XVI 



GENEEAL INDEX 



S 

Page 

Sass. James 509 

Schofield, Frank L 368 

Sflnvada, Henry 662 

Schwieters, Charles X 428 

Selsor, Hiram 541 

Shale, John B 397 

Shain, Edward C 381 

Shelblna National Bank 234 

Shelbv Coiint\' State Bank of Clarence 383 

Slielton, Judge Nat. M 387 

Simmons, Hon. H. Jeane 414 

Siiigletiin, Jacob H 581 

Singleton, Judge A. E 327 

Singleton, Benjamin H 330 

Smith, Dr. Jacob D 210 

Smith, Andrew J 284 

Smith, J. Sidner 417 

Smith, James A 492 

Smith, Lewis 596 

Snider, Peter A 460 

Snider, Henry F 463 

Snider, Marion F 465 

Spalding, James A 296 

Sparks, John F 434 

Spencer, James A 458 

Speyerer, Frederick G 481 

Stalcup, William 641 

Stalcup, George W 482 

Steinluu-h, William 357 

Steinliach, Albert W 358 

Stewart, George E 535 

Slover, Lewis Cass 666 

Stribling, James 253 

Swearingen, William T 248 

Swift, Byron L 466 

Swinney, Emmett D 619 



Tarbet, James H 543 

Taylor, Eobert Edgar 557 



Page 

Taylor, Reuben Lee 643 

Teachenor, Monroe 617 

Terrill, Eugene M 341 

Terrill, John M 346 

The Shelbyville Bank 570 

The Hunnewell Bank 263 

ThiehofF, William B 264 

Threlkeld, Silas 251 

Tolle, John D 371 

Towson, Gen. J. William 215 

Turner, Wm. R 353 

Turner, James William 378 

Turner, James W 616 

V 

Van Osdol, Luke 575 

Vanskike, James H 542 

Vaughn, Albert L 262 

Van Vacter. Benjamin F 586 

Von Thum, Henrv 531 

Von Thum, Jolm'G 545 

W 

Warren, William H 201 

Wav, John 437 

AVerr, John H 506 

AAHieeler, Julian A 274 

Wheeler, Lanius L 654 

Wliitbv, Marvin 622 

White', Stephen A. D 659 

Wiggins, John 488 

Wi'li; Henry 472 

Williams, Newton E 231 

Willis, H. T., M. D 239 

Wilson, Rev. James Jolly 607 

Wood, Rev. J. H 243 

Wood, Dr. A. G 302 

Wood. John M 566 

Wood, Hugh W 451 

Woodward, Crayton 610 

Wright, George A 431 

Zicgler, AVm. T 375 

Z 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



CHAPTER I. 



Discovery and Early Settlements — Log Cabin Days — Settlers of 1833 — A Sur- 
veying Party — Cholera Epidemics — The First Election — A Postoffice and 
Store Installed — Shelby County Formed and Organized and Some Events 
Which Followed — Indians — Wild Anim.als and Game — The Pioneer Wed- 
dings — Pioneer Ministers — First Settlements Made in Timber — Pioneers, 
Pioneer Homes and Comforts — Agricultural Implements — Fishing. 



DISCOVERY" AND EARLY SETTLEMENT. 

Ever since the daj- that Lot aud Abram 
divided- aud the former chose for him- 
self all the plain of Jordan, which was 
fertile and well watered, and Abram 
journeyed in the opposite direction, hath 
the son of man been looking for fertile 
plains, rich valleys and ever-flowing 
streams of pure water. Indeed, through- 
out all ages hath man endured hardships 
of every description and denied himself 
all the joys of societj' in order that he 
might find broader acres of more fertile 
land and an abundance of water. This 
desire burning in the breasts of strong 
men is what prompted them to turn their 
faces westward from the coasts of the 
Atlantic and seek new homes in the in- 
terior of the then wild and uncultivated 
portion of the United States bordering 
the great Mississippi river. Many were 
the men who traveled from Virginia and 
the Atlantic sea-coast states westward 



into the bluegrass sections of Kentucky 
and Tennessee and from thence followed 
the course of the setting sun across the 
Father of Waters into Missouri — all 
seeking fertile soil and fountains of 
living water where the toil of their hands 
would yield greater return. Thus it was 
that Missouri was placed upon the map 
and became inhabited by men and women 
of noble blood, and thus it was that 
Shelli}' county liecame a part of this 
glorious and imperial commonwealth. 

There is a dilference of opinion among 
former history writers of Shelby coimty 
as to whether or not the county was ever 
a part of Marion county. In this con- 
nection Judge James C. Hale, in writing 
the iiistorical sketch contained in the 
atlas published by Edwards Brothers 
in 1878, says : 

"We know that some of our respected 
old citizens hold to the belief that Shelby 
was once a part of Marion, but this view, 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



however, cannot be a correct one, for 
in 1826 Marion count}^ was taken from 
Ealls by legislative act and its boundary 
lines fixed. The western boundary of 
Marion was fixed where it remains today, 
on a range line between ranges 8 and 9, 
and in 1831 Monroe county was organ- 
ized from Ralls, with its northern boun- 
dary line fixed within two miles of where 
it remains today, still leaving all the 
territory between Marion, Monroe and 
the Iowa line unorganized: so we con- 
clude that Shelby was until its organi- 
zation as a distinct and separate county 
a part of Ralls. Under the old terri- 
torial organization, citizens of unorgan- 
ized territory may have been required 
to pay taxes at the nearest county seat ; 
of this we cannot speak authoritatively, 
because the records and books at our 
command furnish us no certain informa- 
tion on the subject. 

"In the early organization of this 
state into counties, the object of the 
legislature seems to have been to make 
as many counties as the population of 
the county would permit. And this may 
have been the reason for restricting 
Marion to its present limits. Be this 
as it may, however, we cannot agree 
that Shelby was ever a part of Marion 
after the organization of Marion into a 
county. ' ' 

From information at our command, 
and from as thorough an investigation 
as it is possible for us to make, we can 
agree with the judge in part only. 

The territory embraced in Shelby was 
not included by the legislative enact- 
ment creating Marion county in 1826, as 
Judge Hale says; but what was later 
and is now Shelby county was, as the 
records of Marion county show, attached 



to Marion, at some date, for military, 
civil and judicial purposes. In this con- 
nection, however, we will begin at the 
beginning and bring the history down 
from the discovery of the country to the 
organization of the county. The title to 
the soil of Missouri, including Shelby 
county, was, of course, primarily vested 
in the original occupants who inhabited 
the country prior to its discovery by 
the whites, or civilized nations. The 
aborigines, or Indians, being savages, 
possessed but few rights that civilized 
nations considered themselves bound to 
respect; so, therefore, when the white 
men found this country in the hands of 
the savages, they claimed it by right of 
discovery. The discoverer of Missouri 
was Fernando De Soto, in 1541. De Soto 
was a Spaniard. He came as far north 
as New Madrid countj' and then moved 
west across the Ozark mountains. De Soto 
died in the spring of 1542 and was buried 
in the Mississippi river. 

The Spanish, however, were not the 
first to settle Missouri. The French 
pushed westward, and in 1682 La Salle 
formally took possession of the whole 
countrj' in the name of Louis XIY and 
called the country Louisiana, in honor 
of the reigning king of France. Spain 
acquired all the territory west of the 
Mississippi by the treaty of 1763. The 
territory was, however, ceded back to 
France in 1800. The country remained 
in the possession of the French until 
April 30, 1803. This is the date of the 
memorable "Louisiana Purchase." The 
contract was made by Livingston and 
Monroe for the United States, and Napo- 
leon for France. The signing of the 
contract took ]ilace May 2, 1803, and was 
ratified by the United States senate, 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



3 



October 17tli of the same year. The eou- 
sideratioii for this vast amount of land 
was fifteen million dollars, one-fourth of 
which was remitted on accoimt of dam- 
age done to the trade of the Ohio country 
after Louisiana had l)een transferred 
from Spain to France. (For further 
information on the subject, see "Early 
History," Chapter II.) 

LOG CABIN DAYS. 

It is impossible to state definitely, 
without chance of error, who really was 
the first settler of Shelby county as its 
territory is now limited. In the primi- 
tive days of 1812 came a party of hunts- 
men from Kentucky. Edward Whaley, 
Aaron Foreman and three others entered 
the county from the west, hailing from 
Boone's Lick country, on the Missouri 
river, en route to the Mississippi. Hunt- 
ing for the head of Salt river, they be- 
came lost on North river, instead, and 
followed it to its mouth. They explored 
this country in a degree, but finally set- 
tled in Marion and Ralls county. Even 
before these came hunters and trappers 
wandering along Salt river, then called 
Auhaha, or Oahaha, finding the forest 
desolate unless they found the red man 
in his primeval home. 

As far as statistics bear witness, there 
were no permanent settlements until or 
previous to the year 1830. In 1831, log 
cabin days opened up in this country. 
A Mr. Norton crossed over from Monroe 
county in the spring of that year and 
built a cabin on Black creek, right on 
the bluff (section 33 — 57 — 9). In com- 
pany with a hireling he brought a drove 
of hogs to feed on the wild mast, which 
thrived luxuriantly in tliat early day. 
He left the attendant to care for the 



swine and he returned. His name can- 
not be learned, but it is probable that 
he had such a lovely time he forgot his 
name, if he ever had one. Close by his 
caliin he had a large hog-pen in which 
he had to shelter his stock at night to 
kee]) it from the wolves, which were in 
large numbers and very treacherous, 
sometimes attacking stock by day as well 
as night ; so the keeper also had to keep 
a close watch by day. He remained a 
year, and his cabin was later used by 
David Smallwood. 

In the fall of 1831, Maj. Obadiah 
Dickerson came over from Marion 
county and built "a cabin on the north 
side of Salt river (about the center of 
section 17 — 57 — 10), near where the 
present road from Shelbina to Shelby- 
ville crosses that stream. The year 
following he returned and brought his 
family to his new home. It is a popular 
opinion of statistics as thej^ can be gath- 
ered that Mr. Dickerson was the first 
bona fide white settler of Shelby county. 

John Thomas was another early settler 
of the county — the latter days of 1831 or 
the early spring of 1832, on a claim on 
Clear creek, where afterwards Miller's 
mill was built (section 18—58—9). Old 
Jack Thomas, as he was familiarly 
known, used to say that he was the first 
settler of Shelby county "that far up," 
meaning north, and that his house was 
the picket post of civilization when it 
was first l)uilt. A few hunters straggled 
along after Jack Thomas, but they prob- 
ably were not ])ermanent settlers, as 
nothing definite can be learned of them. 
In the fall of 1832 a cabin was built by 
Russell Moss (section 28—57—9) three 
miles northwest of Hunnewell. He came 
from Monroe countv and moved his 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



family from that locality in 1833. The 
Mosses were Kentuckians, and Mr. Moss 
was well versed in pioneer history and 
was of assistance to history writers. 

SETTLEKS OF 1833. 

Henry Sannders came to Shelby in the 
early spring of 1833 and settled one-half 
mile northeast of Lakenan (on section 
6 — 56 — 9), and to the south of him his 
brothers, Albert and Addison, settled. 

Samuel Buckner came in early spring 
and settled a mile and one-half north of 
Lakenan, west of Salt river (section 
31 — 57 — 9). Mr. Buckner was a bachelor 
of a well-known Buckner family of Ken- 
tucky, and controlled a number of slaves. 
He was a man of education and intel- 
lectual qualitications, generous and 
hospitable, but morally dissolute. 

Hon. William J. Holliday came to 
Shelby in May, 1833. He settled on 
Black creek, on the southwest (sec- 
tion 6 — 57 — 9). In the year 1876, Mr. 
Holliday wrote a series of interesting 
and valuable sketches of the early set- 
tlers which were published in the Shelby- 
ville Herald. The sketches were very 
valuable, and reliable infomiation was 
gained therefrom for the history of 
Shelby county. The sketches only went 
up to the Civil war, but as Mr. Holliday 
was a gentleman of intellectual attain- 
ment, and his mind clear and memory 
keen, his work was considered authentic 
and invaluable. According to Mr. Holli- 
day there were, to the spring of 1833, 
only twenty-six families living within 
the present limits of Shelby county, and 
these for the most part were located in 
the neighborhood of Oak Dale, in the 
southeastern ])art of the county, in the 
I)resent Jackson township. 



Others settled as follows: Thomas 
Holman lived on section 17, two miles 
south of Oak Dale ; Eussell W. Moss and 
Robert Duncan were still farther south, 
section 28; William B. Broughton was 
on section 5 and his home was called Oak 
Dale; George Pai'ker was on the north- 
west ciuarter of section 8, on Douglas's 
branch, and near by on the same section 
was Abraham Vandiver; Thomas T. 
Clements had built a cabin on the south 
part of section 21, near the present 
Hardy's school-house, four miles south- 
east of Oak Dale; Cyrus A. Saunders 
lived on section 9, nearly two miles 
southeast of Oak Dale; Levi Dyer lived 
on congress lands, west of Black creek, 
in this township and range. 

Then west of Oak Dale and nearly 
south of Shelbyville lived the following, 
in congressional township 57, range 10: 
Angus McDonald Holliday, located two 
miles west of Oak Dale, on Black creek 
(section 1); Thomas H. Bounds built 
a cabin on the west bank of Salt river, 
at the mouth of a creek and near a tine 
spring (northeast corner east one-half, 
section 23), about three and one-half 
miles northeast of the present site of 
Shelbina; and Samuel Balls lived near 
Angus i\IcDonald Holliday, live miles 
southeast of Shelbyville, in the northeast 
corner (section 1). 

John Eaton and George Eaton located 
north of Salt river, east of the road from 
Shelbina to Shellm'ille, on section 9. 
West of the Eatons a mile or two lived 
George and James Anderson, north of 
Salt river (section 8) ; on the north of 
Salt river, on the tirst fanii north of 
"long bridge," on the Shelbina-Shelby- 
ville road (section 17), was Maj. Obadiah 
Dickerson's cabin home. A little farther 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



up the river ou the same side, uorth of 
the present site of Walkersville, lived 
Peter Eoff and Nieliohis AVatkins, ou 
section 7. South of Watkins, nearer 
Walkersville, and on section 18 lived 
"King" Eaton (E. K. Eaton). South 
of Eaton lived James Blackford, on sec- 
tion ID. James Swartz lived about six 
miles northeast of Shelby ville, on North 
river, below where the road crosses the 
stream (section 12 — 58 — 10). 

Elijah Pepper lived about tive miles 
west of Shelbyville. John Thomas lived 
north of Oak Dale, on Clear creek (sec- 
tion 18). On this site Miller's mill was 
later built. Hon. William Holliday said 
in 1876 only six of these pioneer settlers 
were living: James Anderson, James 
Blackford, Nicholas Watkins, George 
Eaton, Cyrus H. Saunders, and W. H. 
Holliday. 

CHOLERA EPmEMICS. 

Everyone who has heard of the pio- 
neer days of Shelby county connects the 
year of 1833 with the cholera epidemic 
which ravaged the country, and tlfe early 
settlers were poorly provided to cope 
with so destructive a disease. It broke 
out June 3, 1833, at Palmyra, Mo., which 
was then a town of some six hundred 
inhabitants, and 105 persons died from 
the fatal malady. Palmyra was closely 
connected with Shelby at this time, and 
many fled to the rural districts for 
safety. Young William P. Matson, a 
stepson of Maj. Obadiah Dickerson, was 
in Palmyra when the cholera broke out. 
He started for the country, and when 
he reached the home of Angus McDonald 
Holliday on Black creek he found the 
stream was so high he could not ford it. 



and here he remained for the night, dur- 
ing which he was taken violently ill and 
died in great agony on the following 
morning. At his burial, his liost, Mr. 
Holliday, was taken violently ill and died 
on the following morning. The country 
was in a restless condition for some 
weeks. 

News of the fatalities of the infected 
districts was spread abroad, and fugi- 
tives from these districts sought refuge 
with their fi-iends. There was no etfort 
to quarantine against nor exjiel those in 
their midst. 

Fortunately, there were no other 
deaths, and by the middle of July the 
dread disease had disappeared. But the 
death of William P. Matson, June, 1833, 
was the first death on record in Shelby 
county. The country was new and things 
were yet in a disorganized state, but 
there remains no authenticated record 
previous. 

A SUKVEYING PARTY. 

R. T. Holliday, a United States deputy 
surveyor, began a survey for the govern- 
ment in August, 1833, of ranges 11, 12 
and 13, the districts to the west of where 
the principal settlements had been made. 
It began at the southeast corner of sec- 
tion 36 — 59 — 11. They surveyed and 
sectionized the ranges northward about 
sixty miles, to township 68, completing 
the work in the winter of 1834-35. Soon 
this new district commenced to flU up 
and improve. Addison Lair tells the 
story that it was during tliis survey, 
while they were at work on range 10, 
there occurred the famous "star 
shower" of November, 1833, and so 
frightened were they that all stopped 
work. 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



THE FIRST ELECTION. 

The first election ever held within what 
later was Shelby county was held in 
August, 1834. At this election Maj. 
Obadiah Dickerson and S. W. B. Carnegj- 
were elected to the legislature, defeating 
the two Johns — John ^McAfee and John 
Anderson. In Maj- of the same year 
Shelby county and some additional terri- 
tory was formed by the county court of 
Marion county into Black Creek town- 
ship, and it was, of course, a big com- 
pliment to have one of her citizens 
elected to this exalted position so soon 
after her creation. Major Dickerson 
was a well-infonned man and a man 
of wide acquaintance in his day. He 
was the real founder of the city of 
Palmyra, Mo., and was the town's first 
postmaster and one of the county-seat 
commissioners. In regard to the major's 
career as postmaster of Palmyra, an 
early history of Marion county contains 
the following interesting story: 

"The town (Palmyra) grew rather 
rapidly and in 1820 had 150 inhabitants. 
Those interested made efforts to increase 
the number of settlers, and in 1821 the 
first postoflfice was established, the mail 
coming, when it did come, from St. Louis, 
on horseback, by way of New London. 

"Maj. Obadiah Dickerson was the first 
postmaster. He kept the office in his hat 
a great i^ortion of the time. Being fre- 
quently absent from home, in the woods 
hunting, or attending some public gath- 
ering of the settlers, the few letters 
constituting 'the mail' were deposited 
under the lining of his huge bell-crown 
hat, often made a receptacle for jiapers, 
documents, handkerchiefs, etc., by gentle- 
men of the older times. Asked why he 



carried the office about with him in this 
way, the old major replied: 'So that if 
I meet a man who has a letter belonging 
to him I can give it to him, sir ! I meet 
more men when I travel about than come 
to the office when I stay at home.' " 

On one occasion a man from a frontier 
settlement came to Palmyra for the mail 
for himself and neighbors. Both post- 
office and postmaster were away from 
home. Going in pursuit, as it were, he 
found them over on North river. Major 
Dickerson looked over the contents of his 
office, selected half a dozen letters for 
the settler and his neighbors, and then, 
handing him two more, said: "Take 
these along with you and see if they 
belong to anyone out in your settlement. 
They have been here two weeks and no 
owner has called for them yet. I don't 
know any such men, and I don't want to 
be bothered with fliem any longer." 

As the mail at the Palmyra postoffice 
increased, the major petitioned the de- 
partment for a new and larger hat. In 
1829, on account of the accession of 
General Jackson to the presidency, 
]\rajor Dickerson, who was an Adams 
man, was removed, and ^laj. Benjamin 
Mear-s was appointed postmaster at 
Palmyra. 

THE FIRST PERMAXEXT SETTLER. 

It is claimed by some, and perhaps is 
true, that Maj. Obadiah Dickerson was 
the first permanent settler in the terri- 
tory afterwards organized into Shelby 
countj'. He settled in 1880 in sections 16 
and 17, township 57, range 10, northeast 
of AValkersville, on the north side of 
Salt river. As stated before, he came 
from Palmyra, Marion county, which 
village he founded about ten years pre- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



vious to his settlement in Shelby. He 
originallj' came from Kentucky and ar- 
rived in Missouri about 1816 or 1817, 
landing at Louisiana, Pike coimty, Mis- 
souri. He assisted in the organization 
of Pike county and also the city of 
Louisiana. In April, 1819, the first cir- 
cuit court ever held in Pike was held in 
the Major's residence. Mrs. Dickerson 
died here in 1820 and the Major moved 
on north and westward to Palmyra. 
Here he resided until 1830, at which 
time he moved over into the territory 
of Shelby. He was a member of the 
Missouri legislature in 1835 and assisted 
in the organization of the county. 

A POSTOFFICE AND STORE INSTALLED. 

It was during the cholera epidemic at 
Palmyra the supply and postoffice for the 
new dstrict were cut oft", and out of this 
experience the settlers realized a need 
of conveniences nearer at hand. These 
settlers had to go to Palmyra for gro- 
ceries, mail, and all the necessai'ies of 
life, — a distance of twenty-five miles and 
return. Breadstuffs were ground at 
Gatewood's and Massie's mills, a little 
north and west of Palmyra. During the 
winter of 1833-34, William B. Broughton 
brought on a small stock of general mer- 
chandise and opened a store in his house. 
His stock, though small, contained the 
necessaries of jirimitive life. That winter 
he secured a numerously signed petition 
asking for the establishment of a post- 
ofSce. This ijetition was graciously re- 
ceived at Washington and an office estab- 
lished at Mr. Bi'oughton's residence and 
called Oak Dale, the name that pioneer 
town bears to this day. This was the 
first postoffice in the county, and Mr. 
Broughton was the first postmaster. 
Mails came in from Palmvra once a 



week, and on that day the settlers met 
for social intercourse as well as busi- 
ness. The first store and the first post- 
office was a great step in their onward 
stride, in the life of these pioneer heroes, 
and many a long fifty-mile drive did it 
save them, so meager was their equip- 
ment for travel. 

His everyday life in the wilds of the 
new country to which he had come to 
make himself rich was such a monoto- 
nous round from day to day that indeed 
he had little to communicate to his 
friends of the South and East. Postage 
was very high, and if the early settlers 
received or sent two or three letters per 
family in a year they were indeed to be 
congratulated. Their usual way of send- 
ing or receiving tidings from their 
friends, and the news of the great world, 
from which they seemed almost entirely 
remote, was usually by the settler who 
journeyed back to his old home or by 
the mouth of the stranger coming in. 
His wants were few, and were, generally 
speaking, supplied by his rod and his 
gun, the latter being his indispensable 
weapon of defense. 

SHELBY COUNTY FORMED AND ORGANIZED, 
AND SOME EVENTS WHICH FOLLOWED. 

During 1833-34: immigration came on 
rapidly. The inconvenience of being so 
remote from the county seat. Palmyra, 
and a hope of inducing a more rapid 
settlement, prompted the pioneers to 
take steps necessary to organize their 
settlements into a new county, which was 
done in 1835 (see early history). 

The year 1835 was as deeply impressed 
on the minds of the pioneer settlers as 
the "cold year" as for the year of county 
organization. The winter was a long one 



8 



HISTOKY OF SHELBi' COUXTY 



and uncommonly severe. The new set- 
tlers were little prepared for extreme 
weather, and suffering was common 
throughout the newly settled districts. 
During February hap]iened the day long 
designated as "cold Friday." The 
spring was late, cold and wet. About 
the 12th or 13th of May came a hea\^ 
freeze, freezing the ground to the dejith 
of two feet. Buds on the fruit trees and 
bushes were swollen and all killed. Even 
some of the young forest trees were 
killed. Crops were resown and late. 

The cold spring was followed later on 
by an early, cold fall. September 16th 
there was a heavy frost and freeze, 
damaging the late corn, vegetables and 
fruits. Much sickness followed, and it 
seemed the life of the early settler was a 
continuous hardship. 

The summer of 1835, cholera again 
broke out in Palmyra. A panic ensued 
among its inhaliitants. and many fled to 
this county for safety. Some of the 
fugitives built extemporaneous cabins 
along the streams or near the springs, 
and camped until all danger had passed. 
Though the settlers were held continu- 
ously in dread of the dire disease, there 
were no cases in this county. 

Except during the "off" year, crops 
were miraculous during pioneer days, 
thus inviting immigration. Mr. Holliday 
said wheat was certain and would some- 
times yield iifty bushels ])er acre. Corn 
and oats were good return, while hemp 
was a good and valuable crop. No grain 
insect molested the country until after 
the year 1840, and then insects made 
their a])pearance by degrees. All kinds 
of stock flourished well, grazing in the 
open until June, when tlie overgrowth 
would cover up the young, fresh grass; 



but the settlers would burn off a large 
tract and the stock for miles aroimd 
would congregate and feed on the fresh, 
tender blades, which made quick growth. 
It was the best way to keep the cattle 
corralled in the early days. Cattle died 
in large numbers from bloody murrain. 

Mr. Holliday says in the early days 
tliere were no oats, clover nor bluegrass, 
and neither were there any pokeweed, 
pursley nor jimson weed. Neither were 
there any fruit trees except in the wild 
state, but every immigrant brought on 
his supply. 

July 4, 1836, was a memorable date as 
the first glorious Fourth in our county. 
About two hundred persons met at the 
spring on Clear creek, five miles east 
and a little north of Shelliyville (sec- 
tion 18 — 58 — 9), where Miller's mill was 
built and located a short distance west 
of M. Dimmitt's rabbit farm. A grand 
barbecue and free dinner was served, 
and a patriotic good time was the order 
of the day. The occasion was pronounced 
a success. 

The following year, 1837, the Fourth 
was celebrated south of Shell)yville, on 
the banks of Salt river, at Carnegy's 
spring; and so the glorious Fourth 
became an established celebration in 
Shelby county. However, at this cele- 
bration some of the more hilarious 
visited some of Shelb^-^'ille's groceries, 
which at this early day had learned to 
sell "fiery water," and a general dis- 
turbance ensued. 

In the autumn of 1838, Shelbyville 
held its first agricultural fair, and the 
contest for ])remiums offered was a 
warm one. A good premium was offered 
to the farmer raising the largest amount 
on an acre of land. The story goes that 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Charles Smith, Judge William Gooeh 
and Col. William Lewis each put in a 
sealed oath of ninety-five bushels per 
acre. Other farmers x^i'oved they had 
raised more than fifty bushels i)er acre. 
The fair continued only a few seasons. 
In January, 1838, Mr. John Dunn in 
the lead asked the county court for the 
organization of a school district of con- 
gi'essional township 58, range 11, under 
the name of Van Buren. It was done 
and itrejiarations were begam for the 
first public school. 

INDIANS. 

Very few Indians were ever seen in 
the county after its first settlement. Oc- 
casionally a hunting party, or stragg-lers, 
passed through. 1839 a band camped 
near Hager's Grove ^md caused some 
alarm. 

The old-timers can make your hair 
stand on end as they begin to tell of the 
Pottawatomie war, but it all turns to a 
false alarm and a huge joke. It occurred 
at the time the government had ordered 
the Indians to "move on" from Iowa to 
the southwest. A party of about sixty 
friendly Pottawatomie redskins, consist- 
ing of men, women and chihlreu, jtassed 
through the western part of our county 
enroute, causing widespread alarm. 
Some of the Indians, as was their custom 
while traveling, had climbed into a corn- 
field and were helping themselves to corn 
and pumpkins. Nothing was known of 
their presence in the country until they 
were discovered helping themselves to 
what they wanted. Wonderful had been 
the tales that had gone fortli of the sav- 
agery of the redskin, and the merciless 
tortures which they inflicted upon their 
prisoners. 



Their cunning and craftiness and their 
shooting from ambush had reached the 
pioneers before they turned their faces 
toward the setting sun, and now came to 
their minds all the warnings they had 
received to steer clear of the murderous, 
torturing redskin, and the settlement was 
thrown into a wild panic. They pictured 
an Indian war at hand and were totally 
unprepared. Alarm messengers were 
sent throughout the country, bidding all 
to rejjair to a certain formidable log 
house for safety. Other messengers 
were hastened to Shelbjn^ille and Pal- 
myra for re-enforcements and here and 
there for simple artillery and such 
weapons as the settlers possessed. And 
the story goes (and is vouched for) that 
the messenger reached Shelbyville with 
his eyes bulging, his hair like porcupine 
quills and his steed all afoam. The town 
was aroused to the indignities the Potta- 
watomie were about to inflict upon his 
fellowman, and a company was organ- 
ized during the evening and arrange- 
ments made to await the volunteers from 
Palmyra, unless the crj' of distress was 
heard in the meantime. Pickets were 
stationed out and the impromptu com- 
pany was ready to start at the sound of 
trumjiet. W. O. Peake was the messen- 
ger to give Palmyra the alarm and he 
played his ])art well. He rejiorted the 
Indians ravaging the western part of 
Shelby county, that the inhabitants were 
fleeing from their homes, and unless they 
were squelched at once a great amount 
of havoc would ensue and the country de- 
vastated and depopulated. A word was 
sufficient. A common sjmijiathy per- 
meated the breast of every pioneer set- 
tler and Palmyra flew to arms. In an 
hour a goodly company was organized, 



10 



HISTOIJY OF SHELBY TOUXTY 



bearing sword and musket, and was on 
way to rescue from the red savage those 
who had befriended tliose who fled to 
them during the dire cholera scourge. The 
company carried with them the dragoon 
swords and otlier arms General Benja- 
min Means had preserved from the Black 
Hawk war. Gen. David Willoek gave 
the orders. John H. Curd was their 
captain. After marching all night the 
company volunteers reached Shelbyville 
at 8 :30 the following morning. Here they 
found a goodly re-enforcement. So it 
goes that they ate and drank, then drank 
again until the companies called each 
other names, were first hot, then cold, till 
the drinks had lost effect and then they 
shook hands and made friends. Late in 
the day the companies started out to lick 
the Indians. Tliat night they camped on 
Payton's branch and continued their 
march on the following morning. But 
they were soon apprised of the fact that 
the Indians had been gone some two days 
and were by that hour some fifty miles 
away. On investigation, they found the 
Indians had taken captive some "yaller" 
pumpkins, their ponies had "cabbaged" 
some "yaller" corn and they had killed 
a wild hog, but they had molested neither 
man, woman nor child, but in turn were 
bequeathing to white man their earthly 
possession, nature's forest, and all her 
beauty and freedom. The companies 
right about and homeward turned their 
faces. The Palmyra company parted 
with the other volunteers, with sad mem- 
ories of imaginary insults and abuses 
whicU occasioned black eyes, some bloody 
noses and a few "peeled" faces. The 
Shelby County ^filitary Comjiany dis- 
banded, but not without first voting their 
thanks to the Palmyra volunteers "for 



the assistance they rendered us and the 
entertainment they furnished us." The 
Shelby settlers soon returned to their 
cabin homes, but many funny stories are 
still afloat which revert back to Shelby's 
Indian war. 

One story which the second generation 
of the old-timers have never lost sight of 
is of old Uncle Malaehi AVood. He 
lolaced his wife and child on one horse 
while he hurriedly mounted another and 
struck a "trot" for refuge. He was on 
the fastest steed and always kept in the 
lead of his loved ones. Mrs. "Wood was 
not an adept at horsemanship, and in 
trying to come up to her husband lost her 
grasp on her darling. In an hysterical 
manner she cried out: "Oh, stop, Mal- 
aehi, do stop ! I have dropped my baby ! 
Do stop, and help me save it!" AVithout 
curbing his speed or turning his head he 
shouted back, "Never mind the baby- 
Let's save the old folks. More babies 
can be had. ' ' 

Another goes that John B. Lewis lived 
in a sparsely settled country down near 
the present site of AValkersville. Mr. 
Lewis was, for that day, a man of wealth. 
He brought with him when he came 
three thousand dollars in gold, which he 
kept hid about his possessions. A son 
of John Pay ton galloped along the high- 
way calling out: "Indians! Indians! 
fly for your lives." The Lewises were 
thoroughly aroused to the sense of ap- 
pending danger. He hurriedly set Mrs. 
Lewis and three little children on one 
horse and started them to the soutli to 
the Aloore settlement, Airs. Lewis bare- 
headed and the children clothed just as 
the alarm had found them. Air. Lewis 
hurriedly buried his wealth and hurried 
to the south afoot. The Aloores had a 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



11 



good, stroug house and it refuged three 
or four neighboriug families for a couple 
of days. The home was long after known 
as Fort Moore. 

The whites had misinterpreted the 
queer actions of the Indians, knowing 
little of their superstitions. It seems 
the Indians had lost one of their number 
and several more were sick. They be- 
lieved tliat an evil spirit had infested 
their band. To kill and banish the evil 
spirit the Indians had slain a dog, sus- 
pended it in the air and formed a circle 
with arrows stuck in ground, all point- 
ing inward toward the body. When the 
settlers saw this, and the raid on their 
corn and pumpkin patch, they inferred 
it betokened death to them and posses- 
sion of their lands and property. 

WILD ANIMALS AND GAME. 

The sports and means of recreation 
were not so varied among the early set- 
tlers as at present, but they were more 
exhilarating and more gratifying than 
the sports of today. 

Ilimters nowadays would be too eager 
to find within a reasonable proximity of 
their home the favorable opportunity en- 
joyed by the early settlers, deeming it a 
rare pleasure to spend a vacation on the 
watercourse or the wild prairies at hand 
in those days. And the early settler en- 
joj'ed it, too, for he had few other sports. 
He loved his dog and his gun and he 
found wild game of almost every species 
found now in our wild western prairies. 
The woods were full of wild game and 
were a paradise for hunters. Although 
the Indians had lived and hunted much 
here, the saying goes that "wild man and 
wild beast thrive together," and so as 
the red man's ranks had been thinning. 



the wild beast had been increasing at an 
alarming degree to the safety of the set- 
tlers, and he killed not only for pleasure 
but for his safetj'. Bears, panthers and 
wolves abounded. The western and 
northwestern portion of the county was 
their principal retreat, because hunters 
from Monroe county had driven them in 
that direction. Bears were abundant in 
the northeastern portion in 1835-36. 
They were numerously killed in Tiger 
Fork and the fierce panther also existed 
here in large numbers. Manj' an early 
settler, as he sat by his hearth, with his 
family about him, felt his blood run cold 
as the piercing scream of the prowling 
panther was borne on the night wind, 
which whistled through the crevices of 
his lonely cabin. They were frequentlj' 
encountered, and many of them slain by 
hunters. Wildcats and catamounts also 
Ijrowled through the forest and were a 
menace to mankind. The early settler 
must always have his gun at hand, and 
he was in constant fear when away from 
his home for his loved one's safety, for 
the wild animals could often be shot from 
their cabins. 

As late as 1841, two large black bears 
passed Dunn's school house, west of 
Shell)\'ville, on Black creek, going west- 
ward. They caused great alarm among 
the children. Near Vienna, Macon county, 
which was only twelve miles distant, 
bears were quite numerous at that late 
date. A large bear was killed near Stice's 
mill. Bethel, 1840. 

The winter of 1835 some enormous ani- 
mals were killed. John Winnegan, a 
man of small stature, but who loved to 
hunt, lived near where the Bethel to Ne- . 
vada road crosses the Tiger fork. He 
killed two very large panthers that win- 



12 



HIST0I5Y OF SHELBY COUXTY 



ter near liis home. The neighborhood 
settlers called them tigers and christened 
the stream on which they were killed 
Tiger fork of North river, which name it 
has since borne. 

As for wolves, the county teemed with 
them. There were at least three varie- 
ties, the large black, the gray and the 
coyote or prairie wolf. The first two 
named made great depredations on the 
early settlers' flocks and herds, and it 
was difficut to raise sheep and hogs be- 
cause of their inroads. Sometimes in a 
single night a wliole herd of sheep or lit- 
ter of pigs would fall the prey of those 
vicious animals. As a rule, all stock 
would be penned at night within a high 
fence enclosure, the only way to feel any 
safety. They would snatch up a pig and 
off with it. However, the hogs often 
showed fight and sometimes was able to 
protect their young and drive away the 
marauders. 

In 1841 John B. Lewis was enroute 
southwest of Shelbyville for his home 
and was startled to hear what he thought 
was a person in distress. He hastened 
to render assistance, thinking perhaps 
some one had been assailed and waylaid, 
but found on nearing the spot whence 
came the cry that it was only the scream 
of a panther. 

In 1840 Kindred Feltz, with some as- 
sistance, killed a panther in the northern 
part of tlie county that measured nine 
feet. 

In 1845 after the county was compara- 
tively well settled, while riding throiigh 
the timber west of Shell)yville, Robert 
McAfee was attacked by a pack of gray 
wolves. The animals chased him, snap- 
ping and biting his legs and injuring his 
horse considerably. 



Deer, turkey, ducks, geese and various 
other choice game could be had for the 
killing of it. One could go out and kill 
his venison steak for breakfast if he sO' 
desired. Wild turkey and squirrels were 
too abundant to be worthy of mention. 

Fur animals existed in large numbers, 
such as otter, bear, muskrat, raccoon, 
mink, wildcat, beaver, wolf, fox and pan- 
ther. The early settlers tell of seeing 
several herds of deer in a distance of 
four miles. 

Numerous are the stories of the chase, 
hunting expeditions and adventures with 
the wild beast of the forest, which would 
be sufficient to interest the readers, but 
they would not be historic in their na- 
ture, only sufficient in detail to impress 
the reader with the condition of affairs 
during the early day of the settlers. 

Serpents everywhere abounded and of 
such enormous proportions that but for 
the abundance of testimony the stories 
seem almost incredible. Quail, rabbit 
and grouse were scarce. 

Another profitable recreation for the 
old settler was the hunting of bee trees. 
The forests along the water course were 
prolific. They were found on Salt river 
and all her tributaries and, in fact, along 
all the rivers in this and adjoining coun- 
ties. 

During the late summer, many hunters 
would go into cam]) for days at a time 
for the purpose of securing wild honey, 
which was very almndant and rich and 
commanded a good ])rice in tlio home 
market. 

Ti-ai>])ing wolves ])ecame a very ])rofit- 
able pastime after the state offered a re- 
ward for wolf scalps. The wolf became 
so daring was the reason of the boimty. 
At niij:ht thev would make the forest ring 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



13 



witli their liarks, and if clogs ventured 
out to drive them away they would lie 
driven hack by the wolves chasing them 
to the very cabin door. 

No, nmsic was cheap to the pioneers. 
They could be lulled to sleep any night 
by the screeching of the panther and 
the howling of the wolf, and deer was 
daily seen trooping over the wild prai- 
ries, a dozen or more in the drove, and 
it is said 'twas a pretty sight often seen 
when half a hundred or moi-e were graz- 
ing together. 

THE PIONEER WEDDINGS. 

The jiioueer wedding of the earh' 
period was not the display of elegance 
and planning as tlie wedding of the twen- 
tieth century. The fine points of display 
and finish were not at their command, 
and the tastes of the pioneers were plain 
and unselfish, hence no pomp nor display 
of paraphernalia was worth the while to 
consider. In those days there were few 
■"store clothes," unless it was that 
lirought in by the emigrant as he came 
in, but their clothes were for the most 
jtart homesinm. The material was prin- 
cipally cotton or flax and wool. The 
women wore linsey, cotton and buckskin 
and the men the same with some jeans 
jidded. 

A bridal outfit did not include a linen 
shower and a handkerchief and hosiery 
shower, a crystal nor a miscellaneous 
shower. Her toilet was plain, inexpen- 
sive and but little more than she other- 
wise would possess. It was all sufficient, 
it was sensible and in harmony with the 
manners and circumstances of the day, 
and she was just as sweet, as at^'able and 
as unselfi.sh as the bride of our day. And 
the groom, in his jeans or homespun linen 



trousers, his linsey shirt, Jiis jeans coat 
and his coonskin cap, was just as gallant, 
as kind and no more domineering than 
the groom, all diamond besparkling, of 
today. Though the weddings did not 
bear the pomp and display, were not such 
brilliant society events, the union was as 
fortunate and felicitous and the event as 
joyous as of modern days. There was 
always a wedding and it was for their 
friends. All the neighbors had an invi- 
tation and all ever accepted most gra- 
ciously. 

There was all sorts of fun and merry 
making during the day. You were not 
invited to come in hat and gloves, to keep 
them on. It was a day's outing. Foot- 
racing, wrestling, shooting matches and 
any other diversion was the order of the 
day and dancing extended far into the 
morning hours. True, some of tlie giiests 
came barefoot and the dancing hall was 
sometimes of the variety which had sjilit 
puncheons substituted for the wax floor, 
from wliieh the slivers had not been 
smoothed away, but the hardened sole of 
the foot was scarcely penetrable by an 
ordinary sliver. And then the wedding- 
feast is worthy the consideration of man. 
There were venison steaks and delicious 
roasts — pig, turkey, grouse and mutton ; 
there was corn pone with wild honey and 
delicious home-made maple syru]i. and 
always the good old Missouri and Ken- 
tucky whiskey, pure and unadulterated, 
such as "we'uns" never sip. The ban- 
quet was all cooked in the old "Pilgrim 
mothers' " style, toothsome and savory 
to a degree. 

And no newspaper, to which the family 
must cater, that the wedding may be 
chronicled as elegant to a degree, the 
bride the most beautiful and accom- 



14 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



plislied and the groom as possessing the 
most sterling qualities. Only the neigh- 
borhood to tell it abroad and express 
their good will. 

And the dear little babies that came 
to brighten the lonely hours, to bring 
sunshine and mvisie and mirth into the 
densest forest, the home of the bear, tJie 
wolf and the panther. True, their lay- 
ette was not as superb and as white and 
silky as today, but the babies were just 
as good, just as strong, as bright, as 
happy and as welcome as the twentieth 
century babe. Yes, it was cuddled by 
its mother, not in a little outfit bought at 
a large department store, but she did 
weave the very material and was pains- 
taking in the making thereof, while the 
proud father lulled it to sleep in a cradle 
fashioned by his own hand, with sea- 
soned hickory bows for rockers. Within 
this little trough are laid some folds of 
homespun, or some soft, hatcheled but 
unspun flax, as soft as down, and into 
this little nest is cuddled the innocent lit- 
tle darling. 

We have resurrected some of the ear- 
liest marriage dates. Doubtless the first 
marriage in Shelby county, after its or- 
ganization, was Bradford Hunsucker and 
Miss Dicy Stice. The ceremony was per- 
formed by Esquire Abraham Vandiver, 
at the residence of Peter Stice, the father 
of the bride, near the present site of 
Bethel. The date of the marriage, as 
duly recorded, was April 30, 1835. The 
next was William S. Townsend and Ede- 
na A. Mills, May 10, 1835, Esquire Wil- 
liam J.Holliday officiating. November 12, 
1835, Gilbert Edmonds and Minerva J. 
Vandiver, also Tandy Gooch and Susan 
Duncan, Rev. Richard Sharp officiating 
on both occasions. February 18, 1856, 



Charles Kilgore and Catherine Coch- 
rane, Esquire Abraham Vandiver ofiB- 
ciating; February 28, 1836, Samuel S. 
Matson and Mary Creel, Rev. Richard 
Slmrp officiating; March 31, 1836, AVil- 
liam Holliday and Elizabeth Vandiver, 
Rev. Sharp officiating; April 7, 1836, 
Fautley Rhodes and Sarah Stice, Rev. 
Sharp officiating; May 24, 1836, James 
Shaw and Eliza Beavens, Judge A. E. 
Wood officiating; October 20, 1836, Ben- 
jamin F. Firman and Sarah Rookwood, 
Rev. Henry Louthan officiating; Novem- 
l)er 17, 1836, Baptist Hardy and Martha 
Davidson, Richard Sharp officiating; De- 
cember 1, 1836, James Rhodes and Mary 
Musgrove, Rev. Sharp officiating. 

PIONEER MINISTERS. 

The lot of early settlers was accompa- 
nied by many hardships, but the lot of a 
minister on the frontier would be harder 
still if he tried to subsist on the income 
directly from his calling, but every new 
country and clime needs a minister and 
his shadow follows close upon the foot- 
print of the earliest settlers. 

They labor without money and without 
l)rice. If he atteiiijits to board, his liabil- 
ities will exceed his assets, and so he 
turns to the practical side of life and he 
toils as does his neigh])or. In that day 
there existed no fund to support minis- 
ters on the frontiers, but he felt his call, 
he knew his duty and he dodged it not be- 
cause it was hemmed in with hardships 
and strivings, with disappointments and 
with danger. They went to the front, 
they gained their substance as did their 
neighbor by their rifle and by their daily 
toil in the field and in the forest. The 
frontier preacher was an expert with the 
rifle, as was his laity. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



15 



Religious service was held in a neigh- 
bor's cabin. Notice of the service was 
promptly and widely circulated, and the 
people generally attended for protection 
and to secure game going and coming. 
The secret of a good attendance was two- 
fold — some attended worshipping their 
creator in all their simplicity, and others 
went for the social side of the occasion. 
Here they told of their hunts, the latest 
news from everywhere, who was going 
back home and who had come, bearing 
some message from their loved ones at 
home. 

In the fall of 1837, there was not a 
church nor school house in the county. 
The Methodists held a camp meeting 
during the season about a mile north of 
Oak Dale (N. W. 32—58—9.) 

A circuit had been established connect- 
ing with the southeastern portion of the 
county. Rev. Richard Sharp, a local 
preacher, who lived at Sharpsburg, Ma- 
rion county, frequently preached in this 
county. Rev. Henry Louthan, a Baptist, 
settled in this county at an early day, 
and sketches say he labored at his call- 
ing. Rev. Jeremiah Taylor, another Bap- 
tist, who lived in Marion, preached in 
this county prior to 1840, and other pio- 
neer preachers are mentioned in town- 
ship history. 

FIRST SETTLEMENTS MADE IN TIMBER. 

The early settlers always chose the 
timbered land as a necessity and con- 
venience. The emigrants almost inva- 
riably came from Kentucky and Tennes- 
see, some from New York, indirectly. 
These states in their primitive days were 
almost covered with forests, and the set- 
tlers there chose timber lands, cleared otf 
what they wanted to cultivate and al- 



ways reserved a portion which they 
called the woods, and "the woods" was 
the most important jjart of the farm, and 
wholly indispensable. AVhen he came to 
Missouri, one drawback was the bleak 
prairies, and so he always hunted out the 
wooded district. Living without the for- 
est, with the pioneer, was like living with- 
out his gun — it was a prime requisite. 
Then he must have a house to live in, 
rails for his fencing, wood for his fuel. 
In that day there was no railway to haul 
his fuel, no coal mine within reach or 
sight, and so we may little wonder at the 
prime importance of timber in that age. 
Along the various water courses which 
flowed across the country, on either side 
was a belt of timber. At certain places, 
usually near the outlets of the tributa- 
ries, the timber belt widened, forming a 
grove, and at these groves the settle- 
ments were usually made. Here started 
up the machinery which turned a wilder- 
ness, teeming with its wild animals, into 
macadamized streets and highways, 
planting here and there a seat of learn- 
ing, or a candle on the hillside which 
lighteth all about it. 

PIONEERS. 

The early pioneers of our country were 
too busy making history to stop to pre- 
serve it. Practically speaking, the early 
years of the county, her cornerstone and 
her foundations, were most important to 
her future welfare. However, historic 
events were naturally slow, the life of 
the pioneers simple and uneventful. 

The experience of one settler differed 
little from that of his neighbor. Nearly 
all of them were poor, and those who 
brought with them some riches faced 
about the same inconveniences and hard- 



16 



HlSTOIiY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ships as his neighbor, and stood g-ener- 
ally on the same footing. It was a time 
of self-reliance and bravery, persevering 
toil, of privations endured through faith 
of a "good time coming." 

It is common to indulge in flattering 
adulations in chronicling the lives of 
early settlers. Their virtues are extolled 
immoderately, their vices seldom hinted 
at, but we must remember that they were 
human and humanity is not all grace nor 
all virtue. It is both strong and weak, 
sometimes one and both at the same time, 
and so it follows that our forerunners 
were men and women with all the virtues 
and graces and all the vices and frailties 
that you find in the human race in any 
comnumity. They may have been 
stronger in ways than their descendants, 
perchance they may even have had more 
weaknesses. They were hosi)itable and 
generous, yet they would (some of them) 
swear, get drunk and fight. Do not their 
successors do even so? 

Good works were wrought, good deeds 
rendered, but there existed also cheating 
at a "hoss swap" and betting on the 
cock fight. There was diligence and per- 
severance, but there was also laziness 
and shiftlessness, there was good and 
bad, and if they were poor they were rec- 
ompensed by being free from the burden 
of pride and vanity, free from the anx- 
iety and solicitude which always accom- 
panies the possession of wealth. Though 
they had few neighbors, they were in love 
and fellowship with those they had. 

Envy, eovetousness and strife had not 
crept in to mar their free intercourse. A 
common interest and common sympathy 
bound as one family. There was no aris- 
tocracy, no caste. In this one ])oint they 
towered above the present generation. 



though aristocracy, generally speaking, 
is comparatively foreign in our count}'. 
Our people today are plain, as was the 
simi)le frontier life of the pioneer, and in 
all, good and bad, the life of the frontier 
in 1835 was about as good and as bad as 
the inhabitants of 1911. The log cabin 
l>eople dressed plain, fed on humble fare, 
but they lived comfortably, happily, 
abundantly and justly. Many a pioneer 
declared the ha]^]nest days of his life was 
when he lived in his log cabin home, when 
eveiy man was on an equality, when aris- 
tocratic feeling was not tolerated, when 
what one had they all had. And they 
must have meant it, every word, for 
many a pioneer, when this county became 
])retty well settled, moved on west, to 
live again the pioneer life their few re- 
maining years. They were men of activ- 
ity and energy, or they would never have 
faced the ills and hardships of frontier 
life, and when their forms were bent with 
the storms they had faced, they still 
yearned for "other worlds to conquer," 
and they again turned their face toward 
the setting sun. 

PIONEER HOMES AND COMFORTS. 

The first buildings in the county were 
a cross between the "hoop cabins" and 
Indian bark huts. As soon as there were 
enough men in the county to raise a log 
cabin, they were in style. "While the 
cabins were homely, yet they could be 
made comfortable. 

A window with glass was a rarity and 
signified an aristocracy which few could 
afford. The}' often built a window open- 
ing and covered it with greased paper, 
which let in some light, but often there 
was nothing over the opening, letting in 
the air and light, but more often the crev- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



17 



ices between the logs without chiukiug or 
daubing was more than sufficient for both 
light and air. 

The doors were fastened with old-fash- 
ioned wooden latches, and for all man- 
kind passing that way "the latch-string 
hung out — thence the origination of the 
old-time hospitality and the saying "the 
latch-string hangs outward." It is no- 
ticeable the reverence with which the pio- 
neer always speaks of those log cabin 
homes, and it causes one to feel that it is 
indeed doul>tful if palaces even sheltered 
happier hearts and more gladsome days 
than the log cabin homes. They were dif- 
ferent, yea! a description may enlighten 
us on many points, and a very good one 
of the average log cabin, landmarks of 
other days, follows. This home was to be 
occupied by a bride and groom : 

"The logs were round, with notched 
corners put together, ribbed by poles and 
sheeted up with boards split from a tree. 
A puncheon floor, which was split trees, 
not smoothed down, was then laid ; a hole 
was then cut in one end and a stick chim- 
ney run up. A window two feet square is 
cut in one end, without any covering. A 
clapboard door is made with the old-time 
latch-string. The cabin is then daubed 
with mud and is ready for occupancy. ' ' 

A "one-leg" bed is moved in by the 
young people. It was made by cutting 
a stick the proper lengtli, boring holes at 
one end one and half inches in diameter 
at right angles, and the same sized holes 
corresponding with those in the logs of 
the cabin, the length and breadth desired 
for the bed, in whicli are inserted poles. 

Upon these poles the clapboards are 
laid or linn bark is woven back and forth 
from pole to i)ole. Upon this foundation 
the bed is laid. 



A cook stove was out of the question, 
but in lieu of a cook stove the cooking 
was done in pots and skillets on or about 
the fireplace. These fireplaces were usu- 
ally built in chimneys composed of mud 
and sticks or undressed stone, if any was 
near at hand. And meals thus prepared 
were both good and healthful. The out- 
door life called for a substantial diet, and 
it is said that dyspepsia was unheard of 
in that day. 

Before mills had been supplied or were 
near at hand, the early settlers used what 
was called hominy blocks for hominy and 
meal. To make these the eai'ly settlers 
selected a tree about two feet in diameter 
and felled it to the ground. If a cross- 
cut saw was in the neighborhood, the end 
was sawed off smooth, if not, it was 
smoothed down as best they could with 
sharp axes, then four or five feet was 
sawed or cut off square. When this was 
finished it was raised on end and a hol- 
low cut in the end. This was done with 
an ax — sometimes a small one used. This 
done, a fire was built in it and watched 
carefully till the jagged edges were 
burned away. When completed, it some- 
what resembled a druggist's mortar. 
Then a crusher was necessary. It was 
made from a suitable piece of timber, 
with an iron wedge attached, the large 
end down. This completed the hominy 
crusher and one usually accommodated 
the neighbors for miles about. 

And so with hominy, honey, majile 
syrup, vegetables and all kinds of game, 
they could readily satisfy inner man. 

Every settler had his truck patch, 
where he raised potatoes, corn and some 
vegetables, and if enough corn was 
raised johnny cake and maple syru]i was 
always api)etizing. 



18 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



The first farms were always oiiened 
up in the timber. This was cut down and 
utilized for cabins, fencing, and what , 
they did not need was rolled together 
and burned. The saplings and stumps 
were grubbed up and then plowing be- 
gun. Some farmers used a plow made 
from the fork of a tree, some a wooden 
mold-board with sometimes an iron 
point. 

The land in the bottoms was very mel- 
low and almost anything would answer 
for a plow there. 

Corn was the principal crop. There 
was little wheat. Flax stood among the 
first crops and was one of the necessi- 
ties. The seed was rarely sold, but the 
l)ark was used to make linsey and family 
linen. Nearly every family had their 
flax and their sheep for clothing sup- 
plies for the family. 

The style of dress was in keeping with 
the style of living. When the women 
could procure enough calico to make a 
cap for their head, they were important 
and hapi)y, or we would say today, very 
swell, and she who possessed a dress 
made entirely of store goods was the 
envy of all her sisters. They usually 
went barefoot in summer and in inclem- 
ent weather they wore on their feet shoes 
made of home-tanned leather. It is said 
when pioneer woman came into posses- 
sion of the first calfskin shoes she was 
very painstaking to preserve them, and 
when she was going to a wedding or 
cluirch on state occasions, she would 
walk barefoot vmtil almost there and 
then don her pretty shoes. 

Very often, 'tis said, the pioneer wore 
knee breeclies on other tlian state occa- 
sions. Buckskin was a favorite for pan- 
taloons, but even buckskin had its draw- 



backs. It would shrink, and so the pio- 
neer could go out in his long buckskin 
trousers, but if he got wet or had to wade 
a stream, his trousers would begin to 
climb up until they would reach his 
knees. On the following day, after they 
were dry, he would take them out and tie 
one end to the logs in his house and pull 
from the other end until he thought them 
all sufficient, and his buckskins were fully 
as good as new. 

The settlers manufactured and raised 
nearly everything they used. Once es- 
tablished, they had their own meat, milk 
and butter, ^"ery little coffee, tea or 
sugar entered into their menus. High 
livers had coffee possibly Sunday morn- 
ing for breakfast. Cattle, sheep and hogs 
lived on the wild mast, and as there was 
no market for these, they kept an abun- 
dance in the smoke house. 

There were few tools and vessels and 
articles for the household were hewn out 
of timber, and the family were just as 
content in their use as the family of to- 
day, with the multiplied modern con- 
veniences. Coffee, sugar and tea were 
high, and they used very little, some fam- 
ilies using none, while a cow would only 
bring about $10, a horse $25, a good hog 
$1.25; wheat, when they had it, 25c per 
bushel ; honey 20c per gallon and venison 
hams 25c each, and split rails 25c per 
hundred. They had to get economy down 
to the fine point, if anything was hid 
away in a savings bank for a rainy da5\ 
In the remote settlements, the neighbors 
depended on one another for help, and 
necessarily so. A house raising would 
start all the neighbors for a dozen or 
more miles around, and a new settler was 
always welcomed and a source of curios- 
ity. The host first cut his logs, hauled 



HlSTOltY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



19 



them to his claim, where he was to biiiki 
Lis home, and theu sent out his announce- 
ment of a house-raising- and date. It did 
not take long to put up a cabin, as they 
came from near and far, and the neigh- 
bor who did not come, when he had heard 
of it, gave real offense. As a rule, there 
was a jug of whiskey on hand, which, of 
course, was a requirement to steady the 
nerves. After the raising, s'ome kind of 
sport usually followed, which off-bal- 
anced all the hard licks they had been 
putting in, and such was the simple fron- 
tier life of the early pioneers. 

AGEICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS. 

For the special benefit of the youth of 
our county, an interesting comparison 
might be drawn between the modern con- 
veniences which make the life of our 
farmer boy a comparatively easy one, 
and the almost total absence of conve- 
niences of the early day. We will give a 
short description of the implements and 
accommodations possessed by the pio- 
neers as handed down to the present gen- 
eration. And yet the possession of all 
our conveniences does not silence the 
voice of complaint, indeed it seems that 
it fans it to a more consuming flame, for 
now we are never satisfied, while in "ye 
olden times" there was little complaint 
and much real appreciation. The only 
plows to till the stumpy soil that they at 
first had was what they styled "bull 
plows. ' ' The moldboards were generally 
of wood, but sometimes they were half 
wood and remaining part of iron. The 
farmer who possessed one of the last 
named had a prize and was looked upon 
as an aristocrat. 

But these old "bull plows" did the 
service, and they must share the honor 



with our pioneer forefathers of first 
turning the sod in old Shelby, as well as 
in many other counties of the state. 

The amount of money spent by the 
average farmer these days would have 
kei)t a whole neighborhood of pioneer 
fathers in farming implements for a life- 
time. He spent little money in such ' ' ex- 
travagances," because he had a small 
income, and could he have obtained our 
modern, easy riding plows, etc., they 
were not adapted to the pioneer farming 
requirements. The "bull plow" was 
probably better adapted to the stumpy, 
new land than a sulky plow would have 
been, and the old-fashioned wheat cradle 
did better work than would a modern 
harvester under their circumstances. 
The ]>rairie was seldom utilized till after 
the pioneer days, but that portion of the 
country whicli was the hardest to culti- 
vate after it was ready appealed to the 
pioneers. It is well for the country that 
siich was the case, for tlie present gener- 
ation, spoiled to the conveniences of the 
day, would hardly have cleared dense 
forests and been patient to the slow and 
trying performances of the old-time 
relics of pioneer days. 

FISHING. 

All the streams of water abounded in 
the finny tribe and a large supply of 
these could be procured on short notice 
at little expense and labor. There were 
the philanthropic settlers, who improved 
the fishing advantages of the country, 
and would never tire of relating stories 
of the delicious viands which the streams 
yielded. Sometimes camping parties, 
with their paraphernalia repaired to 
some lucrative spot — perhaps at a great 
distance. There, as one family, they 



20 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



would eat, driuk and make merry. There 
was no danger of being ordered off or ar- 
rested for trespassing. 

One of the shadowy circumstances of 
a pioneer's life was that of being lonely. 
The solitude of the primeval forest, with 
its shadows often deep, hiding the wild 



beast and perchance a crafty red man, al- 
ways oppressed them, and how gladsome 
were these days of pleasure gatherings 
and how real and how unfeigned their 
true joy and fellowship, one with an- 
other. 



CHAPTER n. 



Eably History — The Name — Important Dates or Public Notices — Important 
Proceedings 1836 County Court — First Circuit Court — The First Attorney 
Fisticuff in County Court — Miscellaneous News from Early Court 
Dockets — The First Shelby- County Election — August Election, 1836 — 
August Election, 1838 — August Election, 1839. 



EARLY history. 

October 1, 1812, Governor Clark issued 
a proclaroation by wbieh St. Charles 
county was organized and this Shelby 
county became a part thereof. Decem- 
ber 14, 1818, Pike county was organized 
and it was included in the borders there- 
of. November 16, 1820, Ralls county was 
created and Shelby was included. Then 
Marion count}' organized December 23, 
1826, and this territory was "attached 
to the said county of Marion for all mili- 
tary, civil and judicial purposes," leav- 
ing the seat of justice far from the early 
settlements. From 1831 to 1834 the pres- 
ent territory, known as Shelby county, 
was virtually a part of Warren township, 
Marion county. But in May, 1834, the 
Marion county court made the following 
order : 

"It is ordered that all that portion of 
territory formerly included in Warren 
township lying west of the range line 
dividing ranges Nos. 8 and 9; also all 
that portion of territory lying west of 
the boundary line of Marion county 
which by law remains attached to said 
county, shall compose a municipal town- 
ship, to be called and known as 'Black 
Creek Township,' and it is further or- 



dered that the clerk of this court shall 
transmit to the office of the secretary of 
state a description of said township." 

Elections in Black Creek township 
were to be held at the house of William 
B. Broughton. The first judges of elec- 
tion were Thomas H. Clements, Richard 
Gartrell and George Parker. The first 
justice of the peace was Thomas J. 
Bounds; the first constable, Julius C. 
Gartrell. 

In November, 1834, Marion coimty 
court formed out of Black Creek a new 
township, called North River, by the or- 
der which follows: 

"All territory bounded on the north 
by the Lewis county line, east by the 
range line between ranges 8 and 9, and 
south by a line drawn from a point in the 
western boundary of Warren township 
on the dividing ridge between the waters 
of Black Creek and North Two Rivers, 
to the western boundary of the county, is 
hereby created into a new municipal 
township, to be called North River Town- 
ship. ' ' 

The first justices of peace for this 
township were Alexander Buford and 
Abraham Vandiver; constable, Oliver H. 
Latimore. Thev held no elections until 



21 



22 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



tlie township was detached from Marion 
county. This part of the country grew 
very fast, the land was inviting and, as it 
took on proportion, the settlers, realizing 
that the seat of justice at Marion was too 
remote, and a demand for a newly organ- 
ized county, with justice at hand, became 
a popular idea, and in accordance, Jan- 
uary '2, 1835, their petition was granted 
and the legislature granted the county of 
Slielby. Following is the act to organize 
the county of Shelby : 

"Be it enacted by the General Assem- 
bly of the State of ^lissouri, as follows: 

"1. The territory boimded as follows: 
Beginning at the southeast corner of 
townshii) 57, of range 9 west, thence west 
with the line between townships 56 and 
57, to the range line between ranges 12 
and IH; thence north with the last men- 
tioned range line to the line between 
townships 59 and 60, thence with the last 
mentioned line, east to the range line be- 
tween ranges 8 and 9 ; thence south with 
the last mentioned range line to the place 
of beginning, shall be a distinct county, 
called Shelby county. 

"2. EliasKincheloe, of Marion county; 
James Day, of Lewis county, and Joseph 
Hardy, of Ealls county, are appointed 
commissioners for selecting the seat of 
justice for said county of Shelby; and 
they are vested with all the ]iowers 
granted to commissioners under the law 
entitled 'An act to provide for organiz- 
ing counties hereafter established,' ap- 
proved January the fourteenth, one thou- 
sand eight hundred and twenty-tive,' 
and said commissioners shall select the 
place for the county seat of said county, 
within three miles of the geogi'aphical 
center of said county. 

"3. The courts to be held in said 



county shall be held at the hou.se of Mr. 
Broughton until the county court shall 
fix on a temporary seat of justice for said 
county. 

"4. The county courts for said county 
of Shelby shall be held on the tirst ]Mon- 
days in January, April, July and Octo- 
ber. 

"5. The said county of Shelby shall be 
attached to and form a i^art of the 
twelfth senatorial district, and shall, in 
conjunction with the counties of Marion 
and Lewis, elect one senator at the gen- 
eral election in the year eighteen Imu- 
dred and thirty-six. 

"6. The governor is authorized and 
required to appoint and commission 
three persons, residents of said county, 
as judges of the county court thereof, 
and one person, also resident of said 
county, sheriff thereof, who, when so ap- 
pointed and commissioned, shall have 
full i)Ower and authority to act as such 
in their respective offices, under the ex- 
isting laws, until the next general elec- 
tion to be held in said county. 

"January 2, 1835." (See Territorial 
Laws, :\ro., 1835, ^^ol. 2, p. 426.) 

THE NAME. 

A great dramatist says there is noth- 
ing in a name, and yet in the face of the 
assertion all mankind is curious about 
a name, and it, generally si)eaking, indi- 
cates a great deal. It intimates at least 
the character of the people who settle 
the country. Names sometimes fall by 
accident, sometimes association and 
again in honor. "Whether it be a wise or 
unwise policy, the naming of counties 
after statesmen or generals, the legisla- 
ture certainly adhered to the i)ractice to 
that extent that three-fourths of the 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



23 



counties of our state were christened 
after men more or less distinguished in 
the history of our country, and it so fol- 
lows iu the naming of Shelby county. 

The county was named iu honor of 
General and ex-Gov. Isaac Shelby, Ken- 
tucky's first governor (1792), who was 
again honored in 1812 aud 1816. 

The commissioners to select the seat 
of justice were Eiias Kincheloe, of Ma- 
rion; James Day, of Lewis; Joseph 
Hardy, of Ralls. 

The governor, Daniel Dunklin, was au- 
thorized to appoint three county judges 
and a sherilT "to serve till the next gen- 
eral election." The act provided that 
the courts of the coimty should be "held 
at the house of Mr. Broughton until the 
county court shall fix on a temporary 
seat of justice." 

The county courts were ordered to be 
held on the first Mondays in January, 
April, July aud October. The county 
was made a part of the 12th senatorial 
district, Marion and Lewis being the rest 
of the district. 

FIRST COUNTY COURT. 

The first session of Shelby county 
court convened at the home of William 
B. Broughton (Mr. Broughton referred 
to in the legislative act), on Thursday, 
April 9, 1835. The following justices 
were present : James Foley, Thomas H. 
Clements and Adolphus E. Wood, who 
were appointees of the governor. Mr. 
Broughton lived at Oak Dale, Jackson 
township (sections — 57 — 9). By the or- 
der of court, James Foley was made pre- 
siding judge, Thomas J. Bounds, clerk, 
and Russell W. Moss, assessor. There 
being no further business court ad- 
journed for a week. 



I'hey reconvened April 17, all the 
judges being present. John H. Milton, 
ai)pointee to the office of sheriff, was 
present and took the oath of office. Sam- 
uel J. Parker was appointed constable of 
Black Creek township, to fill the vacancy 
caused by the resignation of J. C. Gar- 
trell. 

John II. Milton, appointee to sheriff, 
failed to give bond, and the May term of 
court recommended to the governor that 
Robert Dvmcan be appointed in his place. 

At a special term of court May 18, 
1835, Robert Duncan was ai)])ointed 
elizor until he could be commissioned 
sheriff'. 

At this special term the first roads 
were duly established : A road running 
from the county line between Shelby aud 
Monroe counties, at the termination of 
the Florida road, to intersect a road 
passing W. B. Broughton 's at his resi- 
dence. 

A road from Broughton 's "to where 
the 'Bee road' crosses Black Creek." 

A road from "the large branch nearly 
a mile east of George Anderson's house, 
to the range line between ranges Nos. 10 
and 11"; but, on the remonstrance of 
Anderson and others, the order estab- 
lishing this road was rescinded. 

Previous to the above acts, there were 
no highways in the county worthy the 
name. The Bee roads (commonly 
known) were the only highways running 
north and south. The first justices of 
court were all men that ranked high as 
gentlemen of intelligence and experience. 
A. E. Wood was a New Yorker and set- 
tled at Oak Dale. He was a brother of 
the Hon. Fernando Wood and Ben Wood, 
of New York City, the former an honor- 
able politician and statesman, the latter 



24 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



a congressman, newspaper publisher and 
capitalist. Judge Foley located two 
miles east of Bethel, hailing from Ken- 
tucky. He died at Shelbyville before the 
Civil war. Judge Clements also hailed 
from the Blue Grass country. He lived 
near Oak Dale and died in 1850. 

IMPORTANT DATES OF PUBLIC NOTICE. 

It was "W. B. Broughton's residence 
that was christened Oak Dale, in the 
spring of 1834, to establish the first post- 
office of the county, and Mr. Broughton 
was made its postmaster. Mr. Brough- 
ton got his first pointers of Mr. Obadiah 
Dickerson, who was the expert of the 
Palmyra postoffice in her early days. In 
the winter of 1834, Mr. Broughton real- 
ized the necessity of a store for the needs 
of the settlers thereabout and opened up 
a small general merchandise store in the 
room of the postoffice. 

In June, 18.3.5, Broughton and Holli- 
day received license "to retail merchan- 
dise for the period of one year" at the 
same place. 

In August, 1835, AV. B. Broughton was 
appointed treasurer and Robert Duncan 
collector. 

The county tax levy the first year of 
its existence was 12i/-> cents on the $100. 
Poll tax, 371/^ cents. Collector Duncan, 
in December, reported the delinquent tax 
to be $2.60, due from the following per- 
sons : Levi Dyer, 75 cents ; William D. B. 
Hill, $1.00; Michael Lee, 85 cents. 

In the absence of any official record on 
the subject, some idea of the amount tax- 
able property in the county this year 
may be gleaned from the fact that Rus- 
sell "W. ^loss received for his services as 
county assessor the pittance of $12.75. 

In November of the same year, a road 



was opened from the county line, near 
what was known as Lyle's mill, on North 
Fabius, in Marion county, to Peter 
Stice's place. Bethel, Shelby county, giv- 
ing the settlers in the eastern and north- 
eastern borders of the count)' "a nearer 
cut" to mill. 

In December, 1835. the plat of the seat 
of justice, which had been prepared by 
T. J. Bounds, was submitted and adopted 
by the County court, and the seat named 
Shelbyville. T. J. Bounds was ap- 
pointed county seat commissioner and 
was ordered to plat the town into blocks 
and lots as soon as possible. 

Up to July 6, 183(i, County and Circuit 
court was held at the residence of W. B. 
Broughton, Oak Dale, but on the above 
date the first session was held at Shelby- 
ville, at Abraham Vandiver's. This 
house was called the "Court House" un- 
til the completion of the court house in 
December, 1838. 

Upon the first assembling of the 
County court there was no effort at 
changing the township division first 
made by Marion county authorities, but 
left it for years with the same municipal 
division, not even sanctioning the Clarion 
County court. 

IMPORTANT PROCEEDINGS 1836 COUNTY 
COURT. 

In February Broughton and Holliday 
secured a license to keep an inn and tav- 
ern at Oak Dale for one year, on pay- 
ment of $10. In Alay, George Parker 
was appointed first administrator on the 
estate of John G. Gillis. In June, four 
free mulatto children were bound as ser- 
vants and apprentices to Samuel Buck- 
ner. These were children of Mr. Buck- 
ner by his negro mistresses. Their names 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



25 



(which always bears an interest) were 
Leannah, Chirinda, Maria and Theo- 
dorie. In June the first grocery stocks 
were installed in Shelbyville. James W. 
Eastin and Robert Duncan each secured 
a license to run a grocery store at $5 per 
annum. 

On the sixth of July the first term of 
county court that convened in Shelbyville 
was held at the house of Abraham Van- 
diver, who built the first house in Shelby- 
ville. During this term a road was es- 
tablished from Shelbyville to the Lewis 
county line in the direction of Fresh's 
mill, on the South Fabius. This mill was 
located about one mile southwest of the 
present town of Newark, Knox county. 

In the August term of court, William 
R. Ford was pronounced insane by a 
jury and James Ford was appointed his 
guardian. This was the first case of in- 
sanity in the limits of Shelby county. 

In 1836 the county expenditures were 
about $300 and delinquent taxes 
amoimted to $5.70. 

In November, Obadiah Diekerson was 
appointed superintendent of public build- 
ings, and preparations begun for the 
building of a court house. 

FIRST CIRCUIT COURTS. 

The first term of the circuit court of 
Shelby county held forth Thursday, No- 
vember 26, 1835, at the home of W. B. 
Broughton, Oak Dale. Hon. Priestly H. 
McBride, judge of the second judicial 
circuit, jDresided. 

Sheriff Robert Duncan opened court 
and Thomas J. Bounds acted as clerk. 

The following men served on the grand 
jury: William Moore, foreman; George 
Parker, George W. Gentry, William S. 



Chinn, Peter Stice, Bryant Cockrum, Jo- 
seph West, Elisha K. Eaton, Silas Boyce, 
James Blackford, Samuel Bell, Albert 
G. Smith, Josiah Bethard, Cyrus A. 
Saunders, Hill Shaw, John Thomas, Rob- 
ert Reed, Russell W. Moss, Henry Mus- 
grove, Ezekial Kennedy. The record re- 
ports ' ' twenty good and lawful men. ' ' 

The attorneys were present at this 
court, all coming from Palmyra: James 
L. Minor, John Heard and J. Quiun 
Thornton. Minor, who was appointed 
circuit attorney, later became secretary 
of state. John Ilearn became circuit at- 
torney shortly after and Thornton was a 
politician and editor, and later gained 
some state eminence as such. He edited 
papers at Palmyra and Hannibal, so the 
first circuit courts of our county were 
not lacking in legal lights. 

The grand jury reported they had no 
business before them and were duly dis- 
charged. 

The following cases were disposed of: 
"Graham Williams and sundry other 
heirs of Elisha Williams, deceased ; peti- 
tion for partition. Uriel Wright aiv 
pointed guardian ad litem for the minor 
heirs." 

"John H. Milton, assignee of Robert 
Reed vs. Silas Boyce ; petition and smn- 
mons. Motion to dismiss sustained." 

On the third day of the term, Elias 
Kincheloe, one of the county seat com- 
missioners, reported the action of the 
commissioners, and submitted the title 
]^apers for the land on which the seat of 
justice was situated. "These papers," 
says the record, "were examined and 
pronounced good and sufficient in law to 
vest the title in said county." 

On the third day court adjourned until 
' * court in course. ' ' 



26 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



The total expenditures of the term yras 
$16,871/., as follows : 

To W. B. Broughton, to house rent. . .$4.00 

To Robert Duncan, sheriff fees 9.50 

To T. J. Bounds, clerk fees S.STV-j 

The July term, 18;?6, the second term, 
was convened at Mr. Broughton 's. Hon. 
Ezra Hunt was judge; A. B. Chambers, 
circuit attorney. The new attorneys ad- 
mitted to practice before the court were 
Thomas L. Anderson and S. "W. B. Car- 
negy, both of Palmyra. 

The third term of Circuit court was 
held in the house of Thomas J. Bounds, 
in Shelbyville, December, 1836. Ezra 
Hunt was judge ; A. B. Chambers (nick- 
named the A. B. C. politician), of Pike 
county, was circuit attorney; James 
Lear was foreman of the jury, and 
William Porter was admitted to the bar. 

The house of Ezekiel Kennedy was 
the "court house" at Shelbyville for the 
March term of court, 1837. Hon. Priestly 
H. McBride presided. John Heard was 
circuit attorney. The following new law- 
yers were admitted : Uriel Wright, J. R. 
Abernathy, P. Williams and W. R. Van 
Arsdall. 

The following term met in July at the 
house of Thomas 0. and H. W. Esk- 
ridge, in Shelbyville. The Hon. Mr. 
McBride was presiding judge. Heard 
was circuit attorney, Maj. Obadiah 
Dickerson was foreman of the grand 
jury, which found the first criminal in- 
dictment in the county, against Henry 
Meadley for grand larceny. INIeadley 
was arrested, but the charge was dis- 
missed and he brought suit against 
James Lair, the prosecuting witness, for 
damages for false imprisonment. He 
could mit give securitv for costs of a 



suit, however, and had to ask a di.smissal. 
No case of consequence was tried at 
these terms. 

The March term, 1838, convened at 
Shelbyville, and a number of indictments 
were brought upon the people for gam- 
ing. This indulgence was in the form 
of amusement for dull days, but authori- 
ties looked upon it as a dangerous prac- 
tice, also as a means of "stuffing" their 
pocketbooks and creating a little stir, 
and the reform movement brought to- 
justice for gaming: 

Bryant Cockrum, George Gentry, 
William Payne, Isaac Wooley, Elijah 
Owens and Robert Joiner, "for playing 
at loo"; Joseph Holeman and Abraham 
^'andiver, "for playing seven-up"; 
Elijah Owens, John Ralls and Abraham 
Vandiver, "for playing three-up"; Wes- 
ley Hallibui'ton and Joseph Holeman 
were indicted "for permitting gaming in 
their house." Three of the jiarties were 
convicted. George Gentry was fined $2 ; 
Isaac Wooley $1, and William Payne $5. 
The others were acquitted, and 'twas 
said the indictments were resurrected 
thi-ough malice, and 'twas well proved 
that settlers only engaged in the game 
for a pastime. 

At this term Mathias Meadley was 
brought before the court as a vagrant, 
and James Sliaw was indicted for "sell- 
ing spirituous liquors to be drank in his 
home witnbut a license." His case was 
dismissed,.-. 

THE FIKST ATTOENEY FISTICUFF IN 
COUNTY COL^RT. 

The early lawyers were to back up 
their arguments if the occasion de- 
manded, but such an emergency did not 
arise in our countv until the Julv term 



TTrSTOKV OF SHELBY COUNTY 



27 



of tlie 1838 court. Samiiel T. (i lover 
was a young- lawyer auii)itious to make 
his mark, and E. G. Pratt, jealous of any 
inroads a young lawyer might gain over 
his eminence, each overzealous in his 
career, let their choler rise and came 
to blows and fought savagely until sepa- 
rated. Both lawyers hailed from Pal- 
myra. In the very i)resence of his honor, 
the presiding judge, AlcBride, did they 
l^arade their angry passion. Glover was 
fined $10 "for contempt of court in 
striking E. G. Pratt," and in turn Pratt 
was fined for "insulting lauguage and 
striking back." Then the grand jury 
took a whack at each of them. They 
were arraigned, plead guilty, and were 
fined $5 each. This did not cool their 
ardor, for Mr. Pratt was an able lawyer 
and I\Ir. Glover became i;)re-eminently 
noted throughout the state as an able, 
high-class jurist. He died in St. Louis 
in 1884. Mr. Pratt died many years 
previoiis in Palmyra. 

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS FROM EARLY COURT 
DOCKETS. 

The first term of Circuit court held 
in the court house was the March term, 
18.39. 

The first foreigner naturalized in 
Shelby county was Ole Rierson, a native 
of Norway, who took out naturalization 
papers in the March, 18.39, term of court. 

November, 1839, a grand juror was 
fined $5 for appearing in court in a state 
of intoxication. 

In July, 1842, Lucy, a slave belonging 
to George Gaines, was convicted of 
arson. Her sentence was "thirty-nine 
lashes on her bare back, to be well laid 
on by the sheriff of said Shelby county." 
She was also to be banished from the 



state of Missouri for the term of tweutj' 
years. 

THE FIRST SHELBY COUNTY ELECTION. 

August, 1835, was the date of the first 
election held in Shelby county after its 
organization. There were but two or- 
ganized townships and two voting pre- 
cincts at that date. The North River 
township i)olls were opened at the house 
of Alexander Buford; Robert Joiner, 
William Moore and William Chinn 
acting as judges. 

The Black Creek township voting 
place was at the house of William B. 
Broughton; George Parker, A\'illiam 
Ilolliday and Anthony Blackford acting 
as judges. 

There were about one hundred voters 
in the county, and the "casting up" 
aggregated eighty-five votes, so the pio- 
neers evidently had not taken to the 
modern practice of stuffing the ballot 
box. The offices to be filled were two 
members of congress, one circuit and one 
county clerk, an assessor, and surveyor. 
The will of the people was also sounded 
ou the question of holding a state con- 
stitutional convention. At that date and 
till 1846 the representatives to congress 
from Missouri were elected by the voters 
of the state at large, and not by con- 
gressional districts, as is now the case. 
All voting was the vim voce method, 
practiced in Missouri until 1863. 

(Taken from Laws of 1863, p. 17; 
Statutes of 1865, p. 61.) Following is 
the will of the county at its first election : 

Congressmen— William II. Ashley, 66; 
James H. Birch, 45 ; George F. Strother, 
30: Albert G. Harrison, 30. 

Clerk— Thomas J. Bounds, 44; Thos. 
Eskridge, 40. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



Assessor — Tbos. Holeman, 42; Abra- 
ham Yandiver, 41. 

Surveyor — William J. Holliday, 82. 

Convention — For, 34; against, 27. 

At this election nor at any other time 
were the party lines strictly drawn, but 
it seems evident that the controlling 
party in the county in 1835 were Whigs, 
or "Clay men," as General Ashley and 
Mr. Birch were Whigs, while Judge 
Harrison and General Strother were 
Democrats or "Jackson men." 

The following justices of the peace 
were chosen at this election: 

Black Creek, Montillion H. Smith and 
Josiah Abbott ; North Biver, Abraham 
Vandiver, B. F. Foreman, Samuel Coch- 
ran and Alexander Buford. 

AUGUST ELECTION, 1836. 

No record of the presidential election 
of 1836 can be resurrected in the county, 
and the state record was destroyed by 
fire in 1837. 

Governor — Lilburn W. Boggs (Dem.), 
66; William H. Ashley (W.), 39. 

Lieutenant Governor — Franklin Can- 
non (Dem.), 59; Jones (W.), 28. 

Congress — Albert G. Harrison (Dem.). 
77; John Miller (Dem.), 56; George F. 
Strother (W.), 19; James H. Birch (W.), 
19; S. C. Owens (Independent), 4. 

State Senator — William McDaniel 
(Dem.), 71; William Carson (W.), 55. 

Kepresentative — William J. Holliday, 
70; Abraham "S'^andiver, 50. 

Sheriff— Robert Duncan, 101. 

Justices County Court — Dr. E. A. 
Wood, 68 ; William* S. Chinn, 69 ; William 
B. Broughton, 6S; Anthony Blackford, 
82 ; Thomas H. Clements, 77. Two were 
to be chosen. 



Assessor — Thomas Holeman, 38; Sam- 
uel Parker, 23; Robert Blackford, 14; 
Samuel Smith, 10 ; William Moffitt, 31. 

Coroner — Silas Boyce, 81. 

There were about 125 votes cast, of 
which about 100 were from Black Creek 
township. 

AUGUST ELECTION, 1838. 

Congress — Albert G. Harrison (Dem.), 
152; John Miller (Dem.), 151; John 
Wilson (W.), 118; Beverly Allen (W.), 
116. 

State Senator — G. M. Bower (Dem.), 
157; Joshua Gentry (W.), 127. 

Representative — Elias K i n c h e 1 o e 
(Dem.), 158; James Foley (W.), 158. 

Sheriff— Robert Duncan, 201 ; Robert 
A. Moffitt, 67. 

Assessor — Joseph Holeman, 88 ; John 
J. Foster, 82 ; Robert Lair, 57. 

Circuit Attorney — James R. Aber- 
nathy, 159; S. W. B. Carnegy, 69. 

County Justice — William J. Holliday, 
164 ; John B. Lewis, 93. 

AUGUST ELECTION, 1839. 

Assessor — William Gooch, 127; Will- 
iam W. Lewis, 108. 

Surveyor — William A. Davidson, 162; 
John Bishop, 74. 

A special election was held October 28, 
] 839, to choose a member of congress to 
fill a vacancy caused by the death of 
Hon. Albert G. Harrison. The candi- 
dates wei-e John Jameson (Democrat) 
and Thornton Grimsley (Whig). Grims- 
ley was a St. Louis man, and the vote 
cast in Shelby was : Jameson, 81 ; Grims- 
ley, 67. 



CHAPTER III. 

List of 1835 Settlers — Naming of the Streams — First Coroner's Inquest — A 
Lost Man — "New York" Shelby County — The New Courthouse — Pioneer 
Mills — The First Roads — "Bee Trails "^Settlers in Shelby, 1837 — The 
First Bridge — The First Homicide. 



LIST op 1835 SETTLERS. 

The lists of early settlers wliicli have 
lieen preserved have varied somewhat, 
but as iiearl}- as can be ascertained the 
list of voters and heads of families which 
were here at the organization of the 
coimty or in the spring of 1835 follows 
in alphabetical order: Josiah Abbott, 
George Anderson, James Y. Anderson, 
Samnel Bell, James Blackford, Anthony 
Blackford, Isaac Blackford, Silas Boyce, 
Thomas J. Bounds, W. B. Broughton, 
Samuel Buckner, Alexander Buford, 
William S. Chinn, Thomas H. Clements, 
Bryant Cochrane, Charles Christian, 
AVilliam H. Davidson, Obadiah Dicker- 
son, Robert Duncan, Levi Dyer, George 
Eaton, Elisha Eaton, John Eaton, James 
Foley, Benjamine F. Forman, Julius C. 
Gartrell, Jesse Gentry, George W. Gen- 
try, James G. Glenn, AVilliam D. B. Hill, 
AVilliam J. Holliday, Thompson Holli- 
day, Elias L. Holliday, Thomas Hole- 
man, Charles A. Hollyman, Bradford 
Hunsucker, Julius C. Jackson, Robert 
Joiner, Ezekiel Kennedy, Isham Kil- 
gore, Charles Kilgore, Robert Lair, 
Addison Lair, Oliver Latimer, Michael 
Lee, Peter Looney, William T. Matson, 
J. C. Mayes, Russell W. Moss, John H. 
Milton, William Moore, S. W. Miller, 
John McAfee, Henry Musgrove, Sam- 



uel J. Parker, George Parker, W. H. 
Payne, Elijah Pepper, John Ralls, 
Robert Reed, Peter Roff, Hiram Rook- 
wood, James Shaw, Cyrus A. Saunders, 
Henry Saunders, James Swartz, Peter 
Stice, Montillion H. Smith, Hill Shaw, 
John Sparrow, William Si)arrow, Major 
Turner, William S. Townsend, John 
Thomas, Abraham A'andiver, Dr. Adol- 
phus E. Wood, Nicholas Watkins. Soon 
after the organization of the county, emi- 
grants came in and settled up faster. 
In the fall of 1835 and in 1836 came 
John Dunn, James Graham, Alexander 
Gillaspy, Lewis Gillaspy, Stephen Miller, 
James L. Peake, Samuel Bell, John 
Jacobs, Josejjh AVest, James Ford, Will- 
iam Conner, Robert R. Maffitt, William 
Moffett, Jesse A^anskike, Samuel M. 
Hewitt, Francis Leflet, Samuel S. Mat- 
son, Elisha Moore, J. T. Tingle, G. H. 
Edmonds, S. O. A'^anvactor, M. J. Priest. 
After the organization of the county, 
settlers located along the streams, and 
a good many who wanted to enjoy a lit- 
tle more civilization settled at once in 
Shelbyville. 

NAMING OF THE STREAMS 

The streams, for the most ])art, had 
been named before the real settlers 
located, but were renamed mostly by 



29 



30 



HISTOIJY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



associatiou. Salt river was originally 
called Auliaha, or Oaliaba, but was re- 
named because of the salt springs which 
lay near it in Rails county. The Marion 
county records talk of Jake's creek, the 
stream which now bears the name of 
Black creek. It was originally called 
Jake's creek from the fact that about 
the year 1820 a trapper named Jake 
built a cabin on its banks and trapped 
and fished there for some time. The 
surveyors who surveyed that country 
called it Black creek, because of the 
blackness of its water when they first 
saw it. Tiger fork was so named be- 
cause John ^^'innegan killed two very 
large panthers on its l)auks. The set- 
tlers thought they were tigers and called 
the fork Tiger fork. There was already 
two Panther creeks in that part of the 
country, named from animals frequently 
seen near their territory. North river 
was formerly spoken of as North Two 
rivers and South river in Marion county 
as South Two rivers. These streams 
unite in Marion county about half a mile 
from the Mississippi, into which they 
empty farther downstream, in the east- 
ern part of Marion. 

The small streams were often named 
for men who first located upon them, 
simply as a way to designate the stream 
intended. 

Pollard's branch, in the western part 
of Black Creek township, was named 
after Elijah Pollard; Chinn's branch 
for W. S. Chinu; Hawkins' branch for 
William Hawkins; Broughton's branch 
for W. B. Broughton; Payton's branch 
for John Payton; Bell's branch for 
Samuel Bell; Parker's branch for 
George Parker; Hohnan's branch for 
Thomas Holman ; and others the same. 



Clear creek, in the southwestern part of 
Tiger Fork township and eastward from 
Shelbyville, was so named because of its \ 
very clear water. The stream was fed 
bj' springs, beautiful clear cold water. 
Otter creek, to west and south of Clar- 
ence, not only contained many otters but 
also beavers, the former being in large 
majority and the stream named therefor. 
Board branch was so named because it 
was heavily timbered, and the turning of 
these to boards was quite an industry 
and named the stream. 

FIRST CORONEB's INQUEST. 

In the summer of 1837, John Payton, 
a settler who lived in the western part 
of the county, on Payton branch, was 
dashed against a tree while riding horse- 
back and instantly killed. All that por- 
tion of the countj' at that time did its 
trading at Shelbyville, and Payton, in 
company with his wife and brother-in- 
law had been to town, trading, and Pay- 
ton became intoxicated. "NMien they had 
gotten about five miles out of Shelby- 
ville, east of Salt river bottom, in the 
direction of Clarence, Payton became 
unruly and wanted to return to Shelby- 
ville. His wife and brother-in-law pre- 
vailed upon him to keej) on his homeward 
road; and to pass it over and hurry 
the distance on, the brother-in-law pro- 
l>osed a race with Payton and he ac- 
cei)ted the challenge and dashed on 
ahead. There was a tree leaned over 
the river road, but a i)ath had been bro- 
ken around tlie tree. It was believed 
that Payton made his outward turn all 
right, but before reaching the tree the 
horse made a lunge in and Payton was 
dashed to jiieces in the presence of his 
wife and lirnther-iii-law. Some thought 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



31 



perchance in liis intoxicated condition he 
swayed toward the tree and was dashed 
to pieces. 

The lirst inquest in the county was 
held over his body and a verdict of acci- 
dental death returned. The old black 
oak tree stood for many years and was 
a temperance sermon to the youth of 
the laud, and it was always known as 
Pay ton's tree. 

A little later there was a house-raising 
west of Shelbyville, and while raising a 
heavy log it sli])ped and instantly killed 
a slave named London. The slave be- 
longed to Capt. James Shaw. 

A LOST MAN. 

In 1839 a small colony of Norwegians 
wandering about the country decided to 
settle on the headwaters of North river. 
One named Peter Galena made a trip 
into Shelbyville and on his return there- 
from lost his bearings. His family be- 
came alarmed at his absence and a 
searching party was formed. They con- 
tinued their search for a day and a half 
and he was found wandering on the 
prairies of the northwestern portion of 
the county. He had been subjected to 
inclemency of weather, and encountered 
many wild animals. Together with the 
loss of rest, he was half dead and nearly 
demented from fright and terror. He 
was taken home to his loved ones, who 
were also in a tit of nervous prostration 
from their continued anxieties. 

"new YORK," SHELBY COUNTY. 

The fall of 18.35 was noted for the 
founding of New York, Shelby county, 
the mention of which in lier embryonic 
days would cause much merriment in a 
crowd of old pioneers. They could see 



a joke as quickly as our latter day saints, 
and perhaps we may term it unprogres- 
sive now, but they were not the kind that 
bit oiT more than they could chew. In 
the fall of 1835 a party of speculators, 
with Col. William Muldrow, of Marion 
county, at their head, entered about one- 
third of the land of this county, thou- 
sands of acres at a time. Large tracts 
were also entered in other counties. The 
money was furnished by capitalists from 
the East,— Rev. Dr. Ely, John McKee, 
Allen Gallagher and others, all of Penn- 
sylvania. Dr. Ezra Stiles Ely was a 
prominent minister of Philadelphia and 
lost in the enter]u-ise $100,000. 

The company fovmded the towns of 
West Ely, Marion College, and Philadel- 
phia, wlaich was named in honor of the 
"divine's" home burg. They sold thou- 
sands of dollars' worth of lots to eastern 
investors, many of whom were people of 
moderate circumstances and wished to 
get a start in the West. If all had come 
at once things would have seemed pros- 
]ierous, but a few came at a time and 
found the cities and towns existed only 
on paper or in the fancy of optimistic 
eastern capitalists, and so returned to 
their h o m e s without repleting their 
famished conditions. 

In 1835 Colonel Muldrow and his asso- 
ciates came over into Shelby county and 
laid out in the northwest corner the so- 
called New York. It was located on 
sections 1, 2, ]2 and 13, in township 58, 
range 11. It was well platted into blocks, 
streets and lots, and many rare induce- 
ments were offered to the ])ublic. A few 
lots were elsewhere disposed of to gul- 
lible peo])le, but "nary" a house was 
ever built in the "city of New York." 
The company soon came to grief. Other 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



investments sliared as did New York, 
and tliey soon found the westerners were 
wiser "guys" than they had anticipated. 
However, it is only fair to ]\IuIdrow to 
say he was jnst forty years ahead of the 
times. Such investments were pecuniary 
investments and would have returned 
many fold to the investors. 

THE NEW COURT HOUSE. 

We have spoken elsewhere of the first 
steps taken by the county authorities 
toward the building of a new court house, 
which was at the November, 1836, term 
of court. The time had fully come when 
the settlers realized that their public 
welfare demanded a good building, that 
their work might be done properly and 
with dispatch. 

Maj. Obadiah Dickerson was appointed 
superintendent of public buildings and 
ordered to prepare and submit a plan 
with an estimated cost of a court house. 

In 18.37, at the February term of court, 
the County court appropriated $4,000 
for the erection of a court house accord- 
ing to certain specifications. It was to 
be forty by forty feet, built of good brick, 
laid in cement and lime, with a stone 
foundation. The first story was to be 
fourteen feet high, the second eight and 
one-half feet, with good woodwork and 
first-class workmanship. The specifica- 
tions also stipulated that it was to be 
painted and oi'namented, but these pro- 
visions were later stricken out on account 
of the extra cost. 

In September, 1837, the conti'act for 
the brick work was let to Charles Smith 
for the sum of $1,870, and the wood work 
to AVait Barton for $2,175. Some ad- 
vance cash was given to each of the 
parties upon their giving bond for faith- 



ful compliance with the teiTns of the 
contract. The building went U]i slowly. 
The county was new, witli no lumber 
yards within its confines, and most of 
the material had to be obtained over- 
land from Palmyra and Hannibal. There 
was not a brick house near, and the brick 
was burned for the brick walls. It re- 
(piired more than a year to materialize 
the building, whereas nowadays it could 
be built in two months. Smith completed 
the brick portion in the summer of 1838, 
and Barton in November following. The 
County court records contained the fol- 
lowing report of Major Dickerson's : 

"To the Shelby County Court: 

"I, Obadiah Dickerson, appointed by 
Shelby County court su]ierintendent of 
the erection of the court house of said 
county, do certify that I have superin- 
tended the ]ierformance of the contract 
of Wait Barton made for the erection of 
part of said building, and that said Bar- 
ton has fully completed the work stipu- 
lated for on his contract in that behalf, 
and the work done by him as aforesaid 
is received and there is now due him the 
sum of $215, the painting left out. Given 
under my hand and seal this 9th day of 
November. A. D. 1838. 

" (L. S.) Obadiah Dickerson, 

"Supt. Public Buildings." 

The brick of which the court hou.se 
was constructed was made and burned 
near town, on the premises of Josiah 
Bethards. A j^ai't of the lumber was 
sawed at what was known as Gay's mill, 
on North river, in Clarion county, near 
the ])resent site on which Ebeneezer 
church now stands (section 18 — 58 — 8). 

And when at last it was completed all 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



33 



the county "rejoiced as cue man," for 
although very few of the average citi- 
zens ever sued, or hoped to be sued, yet 
as the one great conservator of peace, 
the final arbiter in individual or neigh- 
borhood wrangles, the court is distin- 
guished above every other institution of 
the laud, and not only the court docket 
but the iilace of convening court is a 
place of interest to the public-spirited 
man. Not only so, but the court house 
was the first public building of conse- 
quence, and its uses were general instead 
of special. Judicial, educational, relig- 
ious and social purposes kept the latch- 
string on the outside day and night. It 
was in that day a public building, and 
in many of the first court houses school 
was taught, the gospel power fully 
preached, and justice meted out to man- 
kind. Here the many travelers often 
found rest, and the money invested in 
these old .plain buildings brought larger 
returns than the thousands and millions 
which are now tied up in the stately piles 
of brick and stone and granite of more 
recent date. 

To these old court houses of the pio- 
neer days came the ministers of the 
gospel, of the different faiths, each tell- 
ing the simple story of love which 
touched the heart and brought the sin- 
ner to repentance. Here our fathers 
and mothers sang with undying fervor 
the good old songs of Zion. Here the 
little children drank from their teachers' 
lips the principles of the three Rs. 

The settlers gathered here to discuss 
their own affairs and to learn from the 
visitors the news from the outside world 
lying so remote to the south and east. 
It was a center to wliich all classes of 
people went for the purpose of business, 



loafing, gossiping, exchanging of ideas 
and news. 

PIONEER MILLS. 

Notwithstanding some of the early 
settlers were ambitious, energetic mill- 
wrights in building mills at a few of the 
many favored spots for mills, which 
abounded in this county, nevertheless, 
going to mill in those days, when there 
were no roads, no bridges, no railways, 
and ill conveniences for travel, was no 
small undertaking where so many dan- 
ger, treacherous, unknown streams, 
often swollen beyond their banks, were 
to be encountered, and storms and wild 
beasts to contend with. But even under 
such circumstances, the hardy pioneer 
left comfort and danger in the back- 
ground and, facing weather and streams, 
succeeded in his undertaking. At other 
times the streams and high waters forced 
him to a retreat until a more favorable 
season, and he was at the mercy of his 
good neighbors^yes, those were the 
days when "what is mine is thine." 

Many stories are afloat with regard 
to the danger, hardship and peril of 
being forced to go to mill under adverse 
circumstances, a long distance, which 
threatened life and limb; but the hardy, 
valiant heroes of the early days faced 
many a hardship in their efforts to civil- 
ize and establish a higher standard of 
life. There was the early day when 
there was not a worked highway in the 
county, the settlers were far apart, and 
mills and trading points were in the dis- 
tance, with primitive modes of travel. 

The jiioneers of Shelby county were 
not so badly off as some of their com- 
peers in other counties, who for a long- 
time were compelled to depend on the 



34 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



hominy block and hand mill. Hand mills 
came in with the new settlers, and water 
mills soon followed them. 

At the November (1835) term of court 
Peter Stice asked for a writ of quod 
damnum in order that there might be 
determined the propriety of building a 
water mill on North river (section 
33 — 59 — 10), the present site of the 
town of Bethel. Stice built and fur- 
nished this mill in 1836, but it was not 
a success. Aboiit this time Asa and 
Silas Boyce began a mill on Salt river, 
three and one-half miles southeast of 
Shelbyville (S. E. N. W. 10—57—10). 
The mill was completed by Anthony 
Blackford, Nehemiah Redding and oth- 
ers, and this was a well-known insti- 
tution throughout the county for years. 
John Gay, of Marion county, was its 
well-known and popular millwright, and 
it enjoyed a large patronage. 

The next mill was built by William J. 
Holliday in 1837 and was located on 
Black creek, on the west half of the 
northeast corner of section (27 — 58 — 10), 
about two and one-half miles southeast 
of Shelbyville. Mr. Holliday obtained 
his permit in March, 1837. At the same 
date, T. P. Lair, William H. Claggett 
and others made application and re- 
ceived a permit, and a mill was built on 
the South Fabius, where the Newark 
road crosses that stream (N.W. S. E. 
11 — 59 — 9), which operated for a while. 

Mr. Holliday states that the tirst mill 
in Shelb}^ county was built on Black 
creek (section 6 — 57 — 9) near Oak Dale 
by Julius A. Jackson, in 1835. It was 
a saw and grist combiuatiou and was 
of inestimable value to the people for 
some eight or ten years, when it was 



destroyed by fire. Some early settlers 
claim, however, that this mill was not 
built till the year 1837 or 1838. 

In the fall of 1837 Julius A. Jackson 
commenced a mill known as Button's 
mill, on the north fork of Salt river, 
three miles southeast of Hager's Grove 
and ten miles southwest of Shelbj'ville 
(N.E. .35—58—12), but before complet- 
ing it the dam was washed out. 

In the spring of 1838 Hill Shaw 
erected a mill on Black creek, in the 
southeastern part of the county (N.E. 
S. E. 29 — 57 — 9), two miles north and 
east of the present site of Lakenan. 

In July, 1838, leave was granted 
Adam and Michael Heckart to build 
a mill on the north fork of Salt 
river, five miles southwest of Shelby- 
ville and about three and one-half 
miles north of where Lentner now 
stands (N.E. 4 — 57 — 11); but it is not 
remembered that this mill was erver built, 
as no trace of it can be found at the 
present time. The Heckarts ran a horse 
mill for some time in this neighborhood, 
and later Heckart and Stayer operated 
the Walker mill at Walker sville. 

In the spring of 1 839 Samuel Buckner 
built a mill on North river some two 
miles below Bethel (N.E. 3—58—10). 

In the year 1838 Edwin G. and War- 
ren Pratt built a mill in the northeastern 
part of the county, on the Little Fabius, 
near the Knox county line. 

The year of 1839 Mr. Williams, of 
]\rarion county, contemplated a mill on 
the eighty-acre tract on which the mill 
at Walkersville now stands, but he died 
before his work was accomplished. Tlie 
land was sold by the administrator, and 
David 0. Walker and George AV. Barker 






H 

W 
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r 
o 

1—1 
f 
r 

r 

w 

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<; 

I— ( 

r 
r 

w 




HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



35 



purchased it and built the mill, iu 1840, 
at the present site of Walkersville, 
which was named after Mr. Walker. 

Before the erection of these mills, 
which dotted the county, settlers were 
forced to go the long ti'ip to Gatewood's 
and Massies' mills, near Palmyra, and 
even to Hickman's mill, at Florida, for 
their grinding. The most of our home 
mills, however, were only the ordinarj' 
"corn crackers," and neither ground 
nor bolted wheat; but the corn mills 
stayed the farmers till a more convenient 
season, and so were a source of great 
accommodation. 

THE FIRST EOADS "bEE TRAILS." 

At the session of the 1836-1837 legis- 
lature that body attached to Shelby 
county, for military and civil purposes, 
all the territory of ranges 11 and 12 of 
township 60, — the present territory of 
Knox county. At that session a road 
was also established from Paris, Monroe 
county, to the mouth of the Des Moines 
river, by way of Shelbyville. The road 
opened up as far as Shelb}'\'ille the same 
year. Up to this time the only roads 
running north were the so-called "bee 
roads." There were only two of these, 
and they were little better than trails. 
They ran through the eastern and cen- 
tral portion of the county, taking a gen- 
eral northerly and southerly direction, 
and were made by the settlers of 
the older southern counties, who every 
autumn i-esorted to this territory, hunt- 
ing wild honey. "We have elaborated on 
this topic previously, and will only add 
that the woods abounded with bee trees 
and every year the honey hunters took 
home tons of the delicious sweet. "Wher- 
ever a trail crossed a ford it was called 



a "bee ford," and thus there was "Bee- 
ford" of "Otter creek." 

The Callaway hunters named one trail 
the Callaway trail, as it was the trail 
frequented by Callaway county bee 
hunters. It was trailing over the divide 
between North river and Black creek to 
a point about four miles north and east 
of Shelbyville (section 14 — 58 — 10), 
where it left the divide and crossed a 
branch in the north and west part 
of that section, where was located plenty 
of good water, and which the bee hunters 
made a general retreat and camping 
place. The branch was called Camp 
branch by the settlers and hunters who 
resorted thither. 

Then there was the Boone trail, the one 
frequented by the Boone county hunters. 
It crossed Salt river above AA^alkersville 
and Black creek southwest of Shelby- 
ville, and on up the bluff of prairie on 
which Shelbyville now stands, on north- 
east across the divide, joining the Calla- 
way trail south of North river timber, 
on through the timber, up the head- 
waters of the Fabius, on into the waters 
of the Des Moines, Iowa. 

A ferry was established in 1836 over 
the Salt river at "Beeford" by a Mr. 
Christian. The location was below War- 
renford, near the mouth of AVatkins's 
branch. It was a flat-boat navigated by 
poles. 

SETTLERS IN SHELBY, 1837. 

At this date (1837) the northwestern 
]5ortion of the county was liut sparsely 
settled, as that territory was not as yet 
placed on the market, but other portions 
had been taken up from time to time 
until tliei-e was quite a scattering 
throughout the other regions. Taking 



36 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



them by townships and ranges, they were 
recorded at that early period : 

TOWNSHIP 57, RANGE 9. 

Gabriel Davis, Harvey Eidson, Will- 
iam B. Broiighton, Eamey Dye, Cyrus A. 
Sanuders, Joel Musgrove, Eichard Gart- 
rell, two Mr. Hickmans, Peter Einks- 
ton, Eandolph Howe, Kennedy Mayes, 
George P. Mayes, Samuel Blackburn, 
George Barker, Eussell W. Moss. Font- 
leroy Dye, Elijah Moore, John Thomas, 
Henry Saunders, Hill Shaw, Eobert 
Duncan, Thomas J. Bounds, Joseph Hol- 
man, Thomas H. Clements, David Small- 
wood, Josiah Abbott, Julius C. Gartrell, 
Mrs. Desire Gooch, and a few others. 

TOWNSHIP 58, RANGE 9. 

George W. Gentry, Kindred Feltz, 
Oliver Latimer, Stephen Gupton, Mrs. 
Caroline Looney, Mrs. Temperance Gup- 
ton, Solomon W. Miller, William Mont- 
gomery, Elisha Baldwin, Edward Wilson, 
Henry Louthan, Eobert Lair, Addison 
Lair, Eobert Joiner, Anthony Minter, 
Alexander Buford, Charles N. Hollyman. 

TOWNSHIP 59, RANGE 9. 

Caleb Adduddle, Benjamin Jones, 
Mrs. Morgan, Thomas P. Lear, John 
Cadle, William White, Kemp N. Glass- 
cock, Benjamin P. Glasscock, Daniel 
Wolf, Benjamin Talbot, Thomas G. 
Turner, Perry Forsythe, Mr. Whitelock. 

TOWNSHIP 57, RANGE 10. 

Samuel Buckner, Anthony Blackford, 
James Blackford, Isaac Blackford, Dr. 
Wood, George Eaton, Jefferson Gash, 
Col. AVilliam Lewis, John Eaton, Charles 
Smith, Samuel J. Smith, Maj. Obadiah 



Dickerson, George Anderson, Peter Eoff, 
Samuel C. Smith. 

TOWNSHIP 58, RANGE 10. 

Albert G. Smith, Samuel Beal, Elijah 
Pepper, James Swartz, Mrs. Elizabeth 
Creel, Lewis H. Gillaspy, Alexander Gil- 
laspy, Abraham Vandiver, Moutilliou H. 
Smith, Joseph West, Major H. Jones, 
John Easton, Ezekiel Keunedj-, James C. 
Hawkins, Dr. Hawkins, Elijah Owens, 
E. L. Holliday, Mrs. Nancy HoUiday, 
John Lemley, Josiah Bethard, Thomas 
Davis. 

TOWNSHIP 59, RANGE 10. 

James Ford, John Ealls, Samuel Coch- 
rane, James G. Glenn, Eobert McKitchen, 
Peter Looney, Joseph Moss, James Tur- 
ner, Ferdinand Carter, John Moss, Peter 
Stice, John Serat, Lewis Kincaid, Elijah 
Hall, Hiram Eookwood, Sanford Pickett, 
James S. Pickett, William S. Chinn, 
Nathan Baker. 

TOWNSHIP 57, RANGE 11. 

David D. Walker, David Wood, Mal- 
colm Wood, William Wood, James Ca- 
rothers, William Coard, Nicholas Wat- 
kins, Perry B. Moore, Isaac W. Moore, 
Mrs. Mary Wailes, Pettyman Blizzard, 
James E. Barr, Lacy Morris, Stanford 
Drain, James Carroll, Barclay Carroll, 
John B. Lewis, James Parker, George 
Parker, Capt. B. Melson, Major Taylor, 
Eobert Brewington, Henry Brewington. 

TOWNSHIP 58, RANGE 11. 

John Thomas, John Dunn, Elijah Pol- 
lard, Philip Upton, John T. Victor, 
AVilliam A^ictor, Aaron B. Glasscock, 
Alartyn Baker, Michael See. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



37 



THE FIRST BRIDGE. 

Not until 1839 did the first bridge span 
a stream in Shelby county. It was across 
Black creek west of Shelbyville. A peti- 
tion written by Elijah G. Pollard was 
presented to the County court. It read : 

We, the undersigned petitioners, are 
subject to m;iny inconveniences for the 
want of a bridge across Black creek at 
or near the ford on the road leading 
from Shelbj'ville to Holman's cabins on 
Salt river. We pray the County court 
to take into consideration the necessity 
•of building a bridge at the above named 
place, for the benefit of the settlers living 
west of Shelbyville. We, the under- 
signed, are willing to pay one-half the 
amount the bridge may cost, as follows : 

Elijah G. Pollard $10.00 

John Dunn 15.00 

A. B. Glasgow 10.00 

Madison J. Priest 10.00 

Thomas J. McAfee 10.00 

John ]\IcAfee 10.00 

Robert McAfee 10.00 

Major H. Jones 5.00 

William Gooch 1.00 

So far as statistics and memory go, 
it is thought the county turned them 
down, but the settlers went right ahead 
and built that bridge. Two long logs 
were thrown across the stream for 
stringers, on which strong slabs were 
laid and pinned. On the ends of the 
stringers the dirt was thrown and they 
were securely stayed. The middle of 
the bridge dipped down until the water 
stood several feet over it, but the 



stringers held it firm for many years, 
and it was a source of pleasure to the 
settlers of that locality. 

THE FIRST HOMICIDE. 

The first homicide that ever occurred 
in the county was in the year 1839. John 
Bishop was shot and killed by John L. 
Faber in the brick tavern on the south- 
west corner of the public square in 
Shelbyville, which site of recent years 
has been used for a hotel. The victim 
of a mistaken idea, for so it proved, died 
against the east wall of the tavern. 

Faber was a bachelor and a trader of 
Knox county. It was said of him he 
would buy everything offered him that 
he could not trade for, and his home was 
a museum of rifles, shot pouches, and 
what not. He bought a horse of Thomas J. 
McAfee, in this county, which Faber 
claimed McAfee warranted to work, and 
when hitched up it would not pull a 
pound ; whereupon Faber said McAfee 
might just as well steal the money he 
received for the horse, and was no less 
thief than if he had done so. McAfee 
had married a stepdaughter of Maj. 
Obadiah Dickerson, and the major took 
his stepson-in-law to task, telling him 
in a most emphatic mannei', "If you do 
not properly resent this charge and these 
insults of Faber 's, I will disown you, 
sir, forever." The first time they again 
met it was in the above tavern, and 
McAfee assaulted Faber, catching him 
around the body. The above named 
Bishop was McAfee's friend and ran in 
and, catching McAfee around the body, 
tried to separate the combatants. Faber 
finding him in McAfee's strong grasp, 
drew his j^istol, passed it around his 



38 HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 

antagonist, felt the muzzle come in con- killed him in place of McAfee. Faber 

tact with a body which he supposed was surrendered and was released on pre- 

McAfee's, and drew the trigger. The limiuary examination. He was never 

muzzle was against Bishop's body and indicted. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Ckops in Eakly Forties — Chinch Bug Year — The Sixteenth Section — German 
Settlement — Change of County Line — Mail Facilities Improved — A Few 
Things That Interested the Settlers — Civilization's Sure Advance — 
Second Homicide in the County — The First County Conviction — Jefferson 
Shelton — Jonathan Michael — George Liggett — Miss Alcina Upton — Stock 
Raising and Shipping — Fibst Jail — California Emigrants — Elections — 1840 
Presidential Election August Election, 1841 — August Election, 1844. 



history of the county, 1840 to 1850 — 
crops in early forties. 

lu 1840 the population of the county 
enumerated 3,056. After the organiza- 
tion of the county and the building of 
public buildings advanced, a general in- 
flux resulted. The immigrants came not 
only from Kentucky and other states 
east and south, but man}' came from 
other counties which had been unfor- 
tunate in settling or thought Shelby 
county offered more promising induce- 
ments, and crept on over the line. Crops 
had been good, the soil seemed promising 
and inviting to those who were willing 
to toil. 

chinch bug year. 

Old settlers long referred to 1842 
as chinch bug year. The spring was a 
late and cold one and much cold rainfall 
held back tlie cro])s. Then came on a 
scourge of chinch bugs, which drove the 
people to despair. The wheat and oats 
crop was a total failure, and the corn 
was so completely covered with the pest 
that the rows resembled long black 
stripes across the fields, and the year 



was later referred to by some as the 
black corn year. 

The years 1842-43 were "hard times" 
for the settlers. Many of them had but 
recently settled and had not become es- 
tablished. Money was scarce and little 
in circulation ; produce scare and ridicu- 
lously low ; and wages on the wane. The 
market sheet in the fall of 1842 quotes 
flour, best, per barrel, on St. Louis mar- 
ket, $2.50 gold and $3 in "city mone}^" 
Wheat was 45 cents per bushel, and de- 
clined to 35 cents. Potatoes and corn 
were quoted at 18 cents per bushel. Nice, 
well -cured hams brought 5 cents per 
pound. (Think of it!) Tobacco, "firsts," 
brought only $3.10 per hundred. Gro- 
ceries were proportionately cheap. 
Coffee, 101/^ cents per pound ; best sugar, 
7 cents; molasses, 25 cents per gallon; 
whisky, 18 cents per gallon by the barrel, 
or single gallon 25 cents, or 5 cents per 
pint. To be sure, out of the city market 
prices were even lower, and in Shelby, a 
new county, there was little call for pro- 
duce, making a lower market. Shelby- 
ville quotations were: Pork, $1.50 per 
hundred; beef, $1 per hundred; corn. 



39 



40 



HISTOPiY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



62^,4 cents per barrel or 12i/> cents per 
bushel; bacon, 2 cents per pound. A 
good five-year-old steer brought a bar- 
gain to bring in $8. Cows sold from $6 
to $8. There was no market at all for 
land, except the very best improved. Tlie 
government had a monopoly on land, re- 
ceiving $1.25 per acre for all land entered 
under the pre-emption law. 

THE SIXTEENTH SECTION. 

After the year of 1840 the sixteenth 
sections in the congressional townshijis 
came into demand, showing the develop- 
ment of the county, and the other sec- 
tions were invariably taken up first, 
unless this section was of superior value. 

Section 16 was a donation made by 
congress in every congi-essional district, 
for the encouragement and support of 
the common school. Whenever a major- 
ity of the citizens of any such township 
deemed it best they petitioned the 
County court to sell that section ; the 
court would make an order to that 
effect, the land was advertised for sale 
and sold to the highest bidder. Tlie pur- 
chaser was held for bond for the security 
for the principal and interest. 

So long as the interest was paid up 
he could hold the principal. In keeping 
with the law, the land could not be dis- 
posed of for less than $1.25 per acre. 
The interest was paid into a treasury for 
the support of the schools of the town- 
ship wherein the district lay, while the 
principal was retained for a perpetual 
school fund. 

The government also gave to the state, 
and the state to the county, all the 
swamp or overflow land in such coun- 
ties, for school purposes. The County 
court sold all such holdings belonging to 



this county for from $1.25 to $10 per 
acre. The sum aggregating from the- 
sale of swamp land and the sixteenth 
sections was $45,663. 

GERMAN SETTLEMENT. 

In 1845 a colony of Germans from 
Pennsylvania and Ohio arrived in our 
county and purchased lands north of 
Shelbyville. Previous to this settlement 
some few Germans had settled here and 
there throughout the county, but at this 
time the colony had planned for a settle- 
ment to themselves, and so laid out and 
established the town of Bethel, which 
we take up later in the history of Bethel, 
These progressive people also entered 
a considerable government land. 

CHANGE OF COUNTY LINES. 

The legislature of 1842-43 altered the 
boundaries of Shelbj^ county to their 
present lines, adding twenty-four sec- 
tions of township 56, range 12, which 
were taken from Monroe and from a 
four-mile projection in the soutliwest 
portion of the county. The eoimty in- 
cludes all of townships 59, 58, 57 and the 
two northern tiers of sections in town- 
ship 56, lying in ranges 9, 10 and 11 and 
all of townships 59, 58, 57 and 56 in 
range 12. 

MAIL FACILITIES IMPROVED. 

In 1844 the mail facilities were im- 
proved to a high degree of efficiency. 
Mail was daily carried in hacks and 
stages from Hannibal through Palmyra, 
Shelbyville, Blooniington and on through 
the count}' seats westward to St. Joe,, 
when not detained by high water. A 
daily mail and hack much improved mat- 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



41 



ters, and tliej' thought they had reached 
a high degree of perfection. 

Rates of postage varied. From the 
beginning- of the postal system in the 
country to the year 18-45 there was a 
variance of from 6 cents to 25 cents on 
a half ounce, or less, according to the 
distance of its destination. For each 
addition of a half ounce, postage was 
added. From July 1, 1845, to July 1, 
1851, the rates were 5 cents for a half 
ounce or less if carried less than 300 
miles, and 10 cents if carried over that 
distance. From July, 1851, to October 1, 
1883, the rate was uniformly 3 cents for 
any distance within the United States 
and less than 3,000 miles. 

At an early day a letter to the Pacific 
coast was charged double postage ; while 
today Ave send letters to any part of the 
United States, Cuba, Porto Rica, Guam, 
the Philippine islands, or republic of 
Mexico, 2 cents for each ounce or frac- 
tion thereof. 

A FEW THINGS THAT INTERESTED THE 
SETTLEES. 

In the spring of 1844 the heavy rains 
sent North river out of its banks. Set- 
tlers of the day told of its swollen con- 
dition, such as had never occurred before 
and neither has it happened since. All 
the water beds overflowed and the jarin- 
cipal passage fords could not be crossed 
for several days. In the year 1844 the 
Mississippi and Missouri overflowed and 
great damage was done along the bot- 
toms. All the streams of this county 
were also above bed at that date, and 
helped to feed the larger streams. In 
the year of 1844 Daniel Taylor located 
a tannery on Clear creek, east of Shelby- 
ville (section 18 — 58 — 9), below the point 



where Miller's mill was later located. 
This was a good thing for the settlers, 
making a convenient place to dispose of 
their hides ; but in a few years good tan- 
bark became scarce and hard to obtain, 
and Mr. Taylor had to throw up the 
business and the tannery went to de- 
struction. It was a well-chosen spot, 
with plenty of water, and, had the tan 
bark held out, would have been a pros- 
perous business for some years, or until 
the wild animals became scarce. 

It was probably the winter of 1844 
Mrs. Vannoy, a widow who lived on Salt 
river, above Walkersville, lost three 
daughters by drowning in the river. One 
of them was playing on the ice which 
broke, letting her down in deep water. 
The other two daughters ran to her as- 
sistance and were drawn from the ice 
and all three were disowned. 

CIVILIZATION 's SUKB ADVANCE. 

During the 40 's the county made a 
forward march in the line of civilization. 
As settlers came in more numerously 
than before and the county became more 
thickly populated, the settlers yearned 
for a higher stage of development and 
commenced to take interest in the out- 
side world and in a measure to keep up 
with the march of civilization. Schools 
became numerous by 1848, and a public 
interest was manifested in their behalf. 
Lodges were organized. In the year of 
1847 an Odd Fellows Lodge was organ- 
ized in Shelbyville and a Masonic Lodge 
was organized in the same town in 1848. 
Indeed at this time Shelbyville was the 
only real town in the county, and she was 
indeed a prosperous little place, with a 
good life and vim and was trying to 



42 



HISTOUY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



push forward with all the euergj' of a 
modern western town. 

In 1849 the county court ordered a 
fence built about the public square, with 
Tliomas J. Bounds as contractor, and 
during- that year Mr. William H. Van- 
nort jilanted the square with locust trees 
and some rose bushes decorated its lawn, 
wiucli very mucli improved the seat of 
justice and added a touch of the esthetic 
to its former j^rimitive wild appearance. 

The farms about the county began to 
take on a better air. They were under a 
better state of cultivation and improve- 
ment, and the log ca])ins commenced to 
fall to the background and comfortable 
homes were carefully jilanned and built 
of lumber and brick. "With the appear- 
ance of frame and brick homes came the 
onward march of more careful farming, 
better barns and granaries and better 
stock. Up to about this time the stock 
was comparatively wild, but easterners 
brought with them eastern modernism 
and improvements and it was a contin- 
ual, gradual rise from a stage wholly or 
quite uncivilized to that of higher civili- 
zation as fast as the settlers, with their 
primitive conveniences and unfortunate 
trials, which meet everyone who faces 
the storms of a frontier life, could bring 
it about. 

The experiments of these first men 
who broke the soil have been succeeded 
by the permanent and tasteful improve- 
ments of their descendants. Upon the 
spots where they dwelt, toiled, dared and 
died, are now seen the comfortal)le home, 
the thriving village, the school house and 
the coming of the gospel, and indeed all 
the appliances of a higher civilization 
are profusely strewn over the smiling 
acres of the new county. Organizations 



are wide awake and public institutions 
are bursting into new life everywhere 
over the fair land. 

"Culture's hand 

Has scattered verdure o'er the land; 
And smiles and fragrance rule serene, 
Where barren wild usuq^ed the scene." 

SECOND HOMICIDE IN THE COUNTV. 

In 1842, on Christmas day, occurred 
the second homicide of the county, the 
killing of one Daniel Thomas by Phillip 
Upton. The killing occurred in Taylor 
township, about five miles northwest of 
Hager's Grove, where Mr. Upton lived 
at that time, and his field was the scene 
of the tragedy. The quarrel grew out of 
the following circumstances: Mr. Upton 
was a man of about fifty-five years of 
age, with a large family, three or four 
members of which were adult daughters. 
It seems that Thomas had talked in a 
damaging manner of one of the daugh- 
ters, pronouncing her unchaste, with 
three or four paramours. Peter Greer 
went to Upton with the story, where- 
upon a bitter quarrel arose, but 
finally the chasm was seemingly 
bridged over and the families agreed 
to 1)6 friends. Thomas, however, had 
threatened Upton with personal vio- 
lence. He was a young man, unmar- 
ried, and on this Christmas day, 
armed himself with a pint of whiskey 
and a pistol, which time and again he 
loaded with jmiu'r wads and fired it otf, 
seemingly for his own entertainment or 
to celebrate the day. About 9 o'clock 
he came to the home of Jonathan Mi- 
chael, where another young man, Jeff 
Shelton, worked. Michael instructed 
Shelton to go over to Upton's for a gun 



HTSTOTIY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



43 



Upton had to repair for him. Shelton 
invited Thomas to go with him, and the 
two went over to Upton's liouse. Botli 
were told that Upton was out husking 
shocked corn. 

On their way to the field they met two 
of Upton's daughters, who had been 
down to the field with their father. A 
dog accompanied them, which barked 
furiously at the young men, and to 
frighten the animal Shelton shot at it 
with Thomas's pistol. Upton saw the 
young men coming and started out to 
meet them. He liad liis ritle with him, 
for he never left home without it. Pick- 
ing up his rifle from a shock of fodder, 
he leveled it at Thomas and cried out, 
"Now d — n you, where 's your pistol!" 
and fired. Thomas fell to the ground, 
shot through the body, and died within 
two hours in a pile of snow which half 
covered the body. 

Upton surrendered to officials and 
upon examination before a magistrate 
was released upon the testimony of his 
daughters, who swore that when their 
father shot Tliomas, Thomas had first 
leveled his jDistol at their father, but was 
slow to draw the trigger, which gave Up- 
ton, who was a practical expert, the bet- 
ter chance of killing. In a few months 
Upton removed to Adair county. 

THE FIRST COUNTY CONVICTION. 

The September term of 1843 Shelby 
County Circuit court, he was indicted and 
later arrested. This trial came off at a 
special term of court, which convened 
July 12, 1844, at Shelbyville, with Judge 
McBride to try him. The jury of the case 
was composed of Anthony Gooch, John 
Gullett, Albert G. Smith, James A. 
Sherry, Jonathan Eogers, Charles Dun- 



can, Samuel Blackburn, James E. Utz, 
Kobert K. Mayes, Thomas B. Mayes and 
James Davis. The prisoner was ably 
defended by Hon. Samuel T. Glover and 
Hon. J. R. Aberuathy; the circuit attbr- 
ney was the prosecutor. The trial lasted 
two days, and on the second day the jury 
returned a verdict of "Guilty of man- 
slaughter of the second degree." The 
jury could not agree on his sentence and 
the judge fixed it at three years' impris- 
onment. They proceeded to appeal the 
case to the Supreme Court, but it never 
came to a head. He was pardoned by 
Governor Edwards after serving two- 
thirds of his term. 

In the meantime the family had moved 
to Putnam county, to which place the old 
man went. In a short time, however, he 
became involved with his son-in-law, a 
man by the name of Cain. Later on, one 
day when Upton was working in the 
wood, chopjiing out a trough from the 
huge trunk of a tree, while his wife and 
daughter were washing on the river 
brink, Upton was bushwhacked by Cain, 
who stole stealthily through the brush 
upon him and fatally sliot him with his 
rifle. He was shot in the same part of 
the body as he had shot Thomas and 
lived about the same length of time be- 
fore death ensued. Cain fled for Cali- 
fornia, but at St. Joseph he and a des- 
]ierado quarreled and Cain was killed. 
Then a mob arose and slew the des- 
perado, and so "the wily man shall fall 
as by his own hand." Some of the most 
important alistracts from the trial of Up- 
ton follow : 

JEFFERSON SHELTON. 

Was hired to work at Jonathan 
Michael's. On Christmas morning he 



44 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



came to said Michael's house; witness 
had to water the horses that morning; 
said Thomas also had to water his own 
horse. Michael asked witness to go to 
Philij^ Upton's for a gnn which Upton 
had to fix ; told witness to ask Upton if 
the gun was fixed, if not to bring it 
away. Witness and Thomas went and 
watered the horses. Thomas told wit- 
ness to hasten back from Upton's and 
they would go together to Mr. Pore- 
man's; witness asked Thomas to go with 
him to Upton's; Thomas went with him. 
When they got there witness asked Mrs. 
Upton about the gun lock; she said that 
Mr. Upton was in the field, to go and see 
him; we walked out of the house and 
witness proposed to Thomas to go 
straight back to Michael's; but Thomas 
opposed it by saying they should go and 
see about the gun lock; witness said it 
was not worth while and they ought to 
go and take the horses back; Thomas 
then said if witness would go to the 
field where Upton was he, Thomas, would 
go back with witness and help drive the 
horses up; witness agreed to go with 
Thomas to the field where Upton was; 
as they went along from the house they 
met two Miss Uptons, daughters of the 
prisoner, riding on horseback, coming- 
out of the field ; "a dog that was with the 
girls kept barking at us"; Thomas had 
a pistol, with which he had been shoot- 
ing paper wads, and witness took the 
weapon and shot at the dog to scare 
him; "also shook my coat tail at the dog. 
We went on to near where Upton was; 
the pistol was loaded with paper and 
powder ; I saw it loaded ; as we went up 
Thomas says, 'I think Mr. Upton has a 
horse hitched there.' Upton came from 



where he was in the fields toward us, and 
when he was about ten or fifteen feet 
from us, he stooped down and picked up 
a gun that was lying on the ground, and 
then said to Thomas, 'Now, damn you, 
where is your pistol?' and fired"; 
Thomas fell and witness picked him up ; 
Upton came near with his gun and wit- 
ness thought he would strike him with 
it; witness put Thomas's cap under his 
head and went for help. Upton stepped 
before witness with his gun drawn ; wit- 
ness changed his course and Upton again 
got before him; witness than ran oflf to 
the fence. ' ' The place where Upton shot 
Thomas was about half way between the 
place we first saw him and the fence"; 
witness looked back after he got over the 
fence and saw Upton with his gun down 
as if reloading it. On the Sunday pre- 
vious to the shooting witness was at Up- 
ton's and Thomas was there; Thomas 
and Upton talked ; witness had never 
heard of any difference and thought 
they were friendly. Thomas was shot 
on Christmas, died of the wound in about 
three-quarters of an hour; the ball en- 
tered the left side. 

Cross-examined, witness said it was 
between 10 and 11 o'clock in the morning 
that they went to water the horses ; that 
nothing was said about Thomas's going 
to Upton's with him until after the 
horses were watered ; witness did not re- 
member of Thomas saying, just as they 
were leaving Upton's house, "Let's go 
up to the field and fix the d — d old ras- 
cal"; that he never heard Thomas 
threaten nor abuse Upton ; that Thomas 
once told him that Upton had forbidden 
him (Thomas) to go on his (Upton's) 
l)lace; that Thomas prevailed on him to 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



45 



go up to where Upton was in the field; 
by telling him he would go back with 
him and help him to drive the horses up ; 
that the road liy which they left Upton's 
house forked after going a little dis- 
tance, one fork leading to Michael's, the 
other leading up in the held where Upton 
was; that he said to Thomas, "Hello, 
Thomas, where are you going?" to which 
Thomas said, "0, I have took the wrong 
road"; that Thomas then came across 
to the road witness was in; that they 
looked across the field and saw the girls 
they had met running up the patch to 
where Upton was ; that they had a little 
talk together and concluded to go back 
where Upton was; that nothing was said 
in the conversation about Upton; that 
Thomas wanted to go up there and they 
concluded to go ; that witness did not 
strike nor strike at Upton; that he did 
not see Thomas in the act of drawing a 
pistol when Upton shot him ; that he was 
not looking at Thomas at the time, but 
was looking at. Upton; that, as far as he 
saw, Thomas gave Upton no provocation 
whatever; that when witness came back 
to the field with help the pistol was foimd 
in Thomas's breast coat pocket; that he 
did not know whether Thomas had the 
pistol in his hand when shot or not ; that 
Thomas turned and walked five or six 
steps before he fell. (The witness also 
swore that soon after the killing he left 
the county and went over into Monroe; 
but that his leaving was not for fear of 
Upton, but to go to school. Afterward, 
however, in private conversation, he ad- 
mitted that the principal reason why he 
did leave was that he feared Upton 
would kill him, as he was the principal 
witness against him.) 



JONATHAN MICHAEL. 

On Christmas morning, 1S42, Daniel 
Thomas and Jefferson IShelton were at 
his house; the latter was hired for the 
yeai', with the ijrivilege to quit at the end 
of any month on notice; witness asked 
IShelton to go to Upton's and "get my 
gun. ' ' Shelton asked Thomas to go with 
him ; they were at the house before they 
went to water the horses; the next wit- 
ness saw of Thomas he was lying nearly 
dead in Upton's field; Thomas lived an 
hour or an hour and a half after witness 
saw him. Upton did not go off after 
shooting Thomas, but remained from 
three to four months in the coimty, then 
moved with his family to Macon (Adair), 
where he resided until arrested. 

Cross-examined : Immediately after 
Thomas's death Shelton became dejected 
and depressed in mind and seemed ex- 
ceedingly unhappy; he said that he was 
afraid if he stayed about there Upton 
would kill him, as he was the only wit- 
ness against him. 

For the defense several witnesses tes- 
tified to Upton's quiet, peaceable char- 
acter. One witness said: "He is a peace- 
able man until you get him roused." 

GEORGE LIGGETT. 

In September or October, just before 
Thomas was killed, witness had a con- 
versation with Thomas ; this was the first 
time witness had ever seen Thomas; 
they were passing by Upton's and wit- 
ness asked Thomas who lived there and 
Thomas said : "Old Phil Upton " ; said 
I would find him out soon enough; that 
the whole of 'em were "a d — n onery 
pack"; witness said, "How?" Thomas 



46 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



said "every way"; Thomas asked me 
what would lie the consequence if he were 
to catch a man out and beat him nearly 
to death — what would be the law ; I told 
him I did not know the laws of the state ; 
told him it might be a dangerous thing to 
attempt ; asked him how big a man Upton 
was ; I said he might get the advantage 
of him; Thomas said he was not afraid 
of that and laid his hand on his breeches 
pocket and said, "I have something here 
in that case"; said he had a pistol for 
him: besides, Thomas said he intended 
to have a man by to help. Sometime 
after this witness told Upton what 
Thomas had said. 

MISS ALCINA UPTON. 

On Christmas morning, witness and 
her little sister had been up in the field 
with her father and had returned nearly 
to the house; as they came up nearly to 
the house, .Jefferson Shelton and Thomas 
were standing by the corner of the house 
talking. She heard Thomas say to Shel- 
ton, "Jeff, let's go up to the field and fix 
that d — d old rascal" ; they passed along 
the road with that, and she and her little 
sister turned and followed them; they 
went a little way up the road and Jeffer- 
son Shelton shot a pistol off at their dog 
that was coming down the road ; witness 
and her sister passed on at the forks of 
the road; one of the roads went by 
Michael's, the other passed where her 
father was in the field ; when Shelton and 
Thomas came to the forks one took the 
road to Michael's, then the other one 
started over and started toward 
Michael 's. "Witness swore that after she 
passed the forks of the road she looked 
back and saw Shelton and Thomas stand- 



ing face to face talking, and that they 
turned and got on a log and looked 
towai'd the field. When witness got up 
to her father her little sister was telling 
him what they had done and said; that 
her father said nothing, but turned and 
walked toward the men; that Shelton 
and Thomas came up, one on the right, 
the other on the left, and that Thomas 
had his hand on a pistol which was partly 
drawn from his breeches pocket; that 
Shelton struck at her father just as he 
got to his gun ; that her father picked up 
the gun, stepped back and shot Thomas, 
then turned and struck Shelton with the 
gun; that the gun knocked Shelton's hat 
off and that he picked it up and ran; 
then her father went to the house; wit- 
ness did not know why her father took 
his gun to the field with him; that he 
went to the field about 9 o'clock in the 
morning. 

Peter Greer swore that Thomas made 
to him the damaging statements affect- 
ing Miss Upton's character before re- 
ferred to; that he (Greer) had told Mr. 
Upton what Thomas had said. Mr. Greer 
also stated he arrested Upton at home 
without difficulty; that he went up late 
at night and found Upton lying before 
the fire fast asleep. 

Greer hailed, was invited in, and told 
him: "Upton, you will have to go with 
me." "Certainly; I will go with you 
anj'where," was Upton's response. 

Lewis Scobee testified he saw Thomas 
pick up a fire stick at ^lichael's once and 
remark, " I 'd like to get a lick at old Phil 
Upton's head with this, the d — d old 

." Thomas also said: "I intend to 

devil and aggravate him until he leaves 
the country." 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



47 



STOCK BAISIXG AXD SHIPPING. 

As previously stated, farming and 
stock raising was taking a iirominence 
in Shelby county in the 40 's and taking 
on some proportions as a business. From 
1844 the fanners of the county engaged 
in stock raising and breeding, while oth- 
ers turned their attention to buying and 
shipping. Russell Moss and Barton W. 
Hall had each imported some tine breeds 
of hogs and others had imported the 
merino and other tine breeds of sheep. 

Henry Louthan and Parsons went into 
the stock business on a large scale and 
both raised and bought stock. Pork 
packers from Palmyra and Hannibal 
came into the county and monopolized 
the market and bought all the pork at 
their own prices. Mr. Holliday, in his 
history written and printed in some of 
the newspapers found on the old tiles, 
says they graded the prices so that hogs 
weighing 200 lbs. or more would bring in 
about $5; a porker weighing 198, he 
would be graded to bring $4.75 ; if he 
weighed 150 lbs., he would bring $1.50; 
but no matter how much over 200 lbs. of 
meat they got they only paid the $5, and 
beef was similarly graded, being about 
$25 per head. 

Mr. Holliday goes on to say that the 
farmers sometimes revolted against the 
"steal" or "starvation prices" they 
then termed them, under the grading 
system, and launched out on their own 
hook. Mr. J. B. Marmaduke had two 
very fine steers, which weighed 1,800 lbs. 
each, and he tried to sell them on the foot 
at home. The best offer he could find 
was $.30 per head. He vehemently refused 
the price and proceeded to demonstrate 
what he could do. He sent them to Han- 



nibal, had them slaughtered, packed and 
shipped. His agent sent him a return of 
his sales, which, when the accounts were 
balanced, left him $8 liabilities after tak- 
ing both of his steers in his assets. Mr. 
Marmaduke also shipped a heavy crop 
of navy beans and Mr. Vandeventer a 
good crop of wheat with about the same 
success. 

The wheat crop dwindled in value and 
importance after 1842 for some years 
thereafter, and then came to be looked 
iiyion as uncertain, yet good crops were 
often harvested, especially so on new 
lands. The price of hemp, which was a 
good yield, became so low that the farm- 
ers abandoned it for tobacco, which be- 
came a popular industry and always 
lirought a cash price, though prices 
varied and were sometimes low. 

THE FIRST JAIL. 

In the year of 1846 was Shelby coun- 
ty's first jail erected. Offenders of the 
law, she had many before this date, as 
the records show, but the county had 
been on a strain in the rapid inarch of 
improvement, that she had found plenty 
of places for investments, she consid- 
ered better made and considered it wiser 
and cheaiier to board out her convicts 
than to build and maintain a building for 
their accommodation, but May, 1846, 
marks the date for a new jail in which 
prisoners could be kept at home. The 
first prison was built on the same site as 
the present one, just north of the court 
house, on the north side of the public 
square. The contract was let to Russell 
W. Moss, and William Gooch was the 
commissioner. Following is the plan of 
the first prison house : 

The material was of hewed logs, twelve 



48 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



inches square and eighteen feet high, 
with cracks between not more than one 
and one-half inches wide. The sleepers, 
or lower wall, was laid with logs the 
same as the top and sides, and the floor 
was laid with two-inch oak plank, well 
spiked down. There were no windows 
in the lower part, called "the dungeon," 
except holes 12x18 inches on the east, 
north and south sides, which were se- 
cured by iron grates. Then there were 
logs twenty feet long of the same size 
built around the dungeon and seven feet 
higher, which made a room eighteen feet 
square. The space between the outer 
and inner walls was filled with limestone 
broken into pieces the size of apples. 
There were steps to go upon the outside 
of the building to a door which entered 
the upper story; then a trap door, by 
means of which the dungeon was 
reached. The floor of the upper room 
was similar to the dungeon floor. The 
old-timers called the upper room the 
debtors' prison, while the lower was con- 
signed to criminals. The jail cost abovit 
$600. In sketches by Mr. Holliday is 
handed down the following jotting: At 
that time there was a law in Missouri 
providing that a creditor might put a 
debtor into prison and keep him there 
until the last farthing was paid, or nntil 
he had given up all property he owned 
nnder oath, when he was relieved under 
what is termed the "Act for the benefit 
of insolvent debtors." This was why 
we had a debtor's prison. The outside 
of the jail was weather-boarded and 
looked like a common frame house. 

The act, however, of abolishing the act 
of imprisonment for debt was abolished 
in Missouri when an enactment was 



passed by our legislature in January, 
1843, setting such a law as null and 
void. 

Mr. Holliday also says: Among the 
first prisoners placed in our new jail 
were two brothers from Schuyler county, 
who were charged with stealing hogs. 
Joshua M. Ennis was sheriff at the time 
and his father kept the jail. 

He gave the prisoners their meals 
through the trap door. The weather 
was not very cold, yet they com])lained 
of its severity, and the jailer had a stove 
put in the jail for their special comfort. 

Several times, upon opening the trap 
door, he discovered the lower room full 
of smoke. When he inquired of the pris- 
oners if they were not uncomfortable on 
account of the smoke, they replied, "Oh, 
no; the smoke all rises upward, so we 
don't feel it down here." One morning 
Mr. Ennis made his regular visit to the 
jail with his prisoners' breakfast, but 
was astonished to find that the birds had 
flown. Further discoveries showed that 
they had burned a hole through the floor 
and wall and made their escape. They 
were polite enough to leave a letter di- 
rected to the sheriff, in which they said 
he had treated them well, and that they 
liked their boarding house, but that their 
business needed their immediate per- 
sonal attention so much that they were 
compelled to leave ; if, however, they had 
occasion to stop in town at any future 
time they would stop with him. The 
court had the house repaired and in a 
short time another hole was made in the 
same place by an escaping prisoner, 
when the court, finding the jail unfit for 
any further use, sold it and had it re- 
moved. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



49 



CALIFOKNIA EMIGRANTS. 

Doubtless the desire for gold has ever 
been the mainspring of all enterprise and 
progress from the days of the patriarchs 
lip to the present time, and will continue 
so to be to the remote ages. Generally, 
however, this greed has been evident in 
all the busy thoroughfares of thrift and 
industry. On some occasions, however, 
it has passed beyond the bounds of rea- 
son, and assumed the characteristics of 
a mania. The gold fever broke out in 
the latter part of 1848, when the stories 
commenced to float about the wonderful 
riches of the placer mines of California, 
and worked into a frenzy, not only the 
people of the West, but the entire re- 
public. 

The excitement grew daily, and the re- 
ports were repeated, exaggerated, from 
mouth to mouth and from settlement to 
settlement, until nothing was talked of 
but the feats of the California gold dig- 
gers. The papers were replete, each one 
picturing more graphically the details of 
the yellow dirt, its marvelous richness 
and its vast territory. 

The excitement ran so high that the 
most conservative were infected with the 
contagion, hurriedly left their homes and 
all that was dear to them to battle with 
the imcertainties of hunting gold. Day 
after day and month after month, these 
early settlers watched daily the papers 
to read their falmlous tales of the west- 
ern gold fields, and instead of dying out 
the fever rose higher and higher, and it 
is said, at one time, there was not an 
able-bodied man in Shelby county but 
contemplated and planned a trip for 
later on in the spring or summer, for 
even the most sober and stable minded 



could not repel the temptation, so 
hemmed in on all sides was he by the one 
toj)i<' and desire, and the stream of emi- 
grants ever passing on every side and in 
conditions of travel. Some of the emi- 
grant wagons were drawn by cows, while 
others footed it through, drawing a hand 
cart which carted their clothes and hard- 
lioiled eggs and corn dodgers. Only to 
get to California and all riches would be 
at their feet. 

It was a scene beyond description. One 
continuous line of wagons and footmen, 
from the Orient to the Occident, one 
continuous line and like a cantankerous 
tumor, drawing and pulling from every 
highway to the main thoroughfare, the 
road to California. Ho! to California! 
Shelby county, new as she was, was 
caught in the whirlwind and turned to 
face the hardships of the crowded frontier 
of the gold fields. They started out at 
the beginning, l)ut the main emigration 
commenced in 1850. Some of them made 
great sacrifice to olitain the necessary 
outfit, and most often it was a disastrous 
investment, for to the average, the in- 
vestor did not find "pay dirt" and many 
never succeeded in reaching home again. 
The suffering was great, because of the 
congested conditions, and some who went 
from here found no peace until they lay 
down to sleep — never to return to all 
that earth held near and dear to them. 
Some of the luckier ones made comfort- 
able little fortunes and were alile to re- 
turn to their loved ones with nuggets of 
gold for their hire. 

Among those from Shelby county who 
went out in 1849 were: John F. Benja- 
mine, J. M. Collier, "William Dunn, John 
Dickerson, Capt. J. A. Carothers, Dr. 
Mills, C. J\r. Pilcher, Benjamin Forman, 



50 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COITXTY 



"Bob" Marmadnke (slave), Calvin 
Pilcher, William Robinson, Charles 
Eackliffe, Lafayette Shoots, "Joe" 
Dunn (slave), William, John and Eobert 
^lontgomery. 

Among those who listed in 1850 were 
Adam Heekart and Newton and Robert 
Dnnn. 

AUGUST ELECTION, 1841. 

Clerk of Courts — Thomas J. Bounds. 
224; John Jacobs, 198. 

Assessor — Abraham Mattock, 163 ; 
Alfred Tobin, 130; Joseph C. Miller, 71 : 
George W. Gentry, 44. 

At this election there were five town- 
ships in the county, Black Creek, North 
River, Salt River, Jackson and Tiger 
Fork. 

ELECTIONS — 1840 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. 

At the Presidential election in 1840 a 
full vote was cast and in the county it 
was a close vote. The Van Buren or 
Democratic electors received 233 votes; 
the Harrison or Whig electors, 226; 
Democratic majority, 7. 

The political campaign this year was, 
perhaps, the most remarkable one in the 
history of the country. The greatest en- 
thusiasm was awakened in the Whig 
ranks for their candidates, General Har- 
rison and John Tyler — "Tippecanoe and 
Tyler, too" — and they swept the country 
against democracy. In this county about 
the first political enthusiasm came of this 
year, being held by both parties at Shel- 
b>'\'ille and also at Oak Dale. In 1840 
there were six townships in the coimty, 
Black Creek, North River, Salt River, 
Fabius, Tiger Fork and Jackson. 



AUGUST ELECTION, 1844. 

Governor — John C. Edwards (Dem.), 
245; C. H. Allen (Ind. Dem. and Whig), 
173. 

Congressmen — (Five to be chosen). 
Regular Dems. or "Hards": Sterling 
Price, 231 ; John G. Jamison, 229 ; John 
S. Phelps, 229 ; James B. Bowling, 232 ; 
James H. Relfe, 2.34; Ind. Dems. or 
"Softs": L. H. Sims, 178; T. B. Hud- 
son, 185; Ratcliffe Boone, 186; John 
Thornton, 182 ; Augustus Jones, 180 ; Jo- 
siah Fisk, 5. 

At this time the Democratic party in 
Missouri was divided into two factions, 
tlie "Hards," who favored hard money 
or state bank money on a metallic basis 
and no bills less than $10. The "Softs" 
favored bank bills of $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, 
and leaned toward the Whig idea of free 
banking. 

Senator — Robert Croughton (Dem.), 
221 ; Addison J. Reese (Whig), 227. 

Representatives — Russell W. Moss, 
254; John W. Long, 249. 

Sheriff— Gilbert H. Edmonds, 296; 
William J. HoUiday, 209. 

County Judges— S. B. Hardy, 292; 
John Dunn, 229; James Foley, 222; 
Perry B. Moore, 175; Thomas Lane, 
147; Abraham Vandiver, 145; Robert 
Givens, 94; Levy Brown, 87; Thomas 0. 
Eskridge, 57; Alexander Gillaspy, 49. 

Assessor — William H. Vannort elected. 

Coroner — James Patterson elected. 

C. H. Allen lived at Palmyra and was 
an eccentric character, with a personal- 
ity quite his own, and was commonly 
known as "Horse" Allen. He was a 
lawyer of noted repute, having served a 
term or two as circuit judge. At one 
time, it is told, when presiding over 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



51 



court he had to contend with an attorney 
small in stature and of the chatterbox 
style, and at last he exlaimed: "I'll let 
you know I am not only judge of this 
court but a 'boss' besides, and if you 
don't sit down and keep your mouth 

shut, by I'll make you!" This 

year he made the race for governor on 
the Independent ticket against Judge 
Edwards, but was defeated by a ma- 
jority of 5,621, the vote standing: Ed- 
wards, 36,978 ; Allen, 31,357. 

At the Presidential election in 1844 the 
vote of the county stood for Henry Clay 
and Theodore Frelinghuysen (Whigs), 
244; for James K. Polk and George M. 
Dallas (Dems.), 209. Whig majority, 35. 

At the Presidential election in 1848 the 



vote was: For Cass and Butler (Dems.), 
263; for Taylor and Fillmore (Whigs), 
175. Democratic majority, 88. John 
McAfee, Democrat, was elected to the 
legislature. 

In the legislature in 1847 Mr. McAfee 
in the floor discussion on the "Jackson 
resolutions," the member from Shelby 
supported the resolutions, being a strong 
anti-Benton man. The next year, when 
he was a candidate for re-election, he 
was defeated by John F. Benjamin, who 
had first returned from California. Mr. 
Benjamin was brought out by a faction 
of Democrats led by J. M. Ennis, and 
was both an anti-Benton man and an 
anti-Jackson Resolution. 



CHAPTER V. 

Heterogeneous — Election of 1852 — Political, Campaign of 1856 — Presidential 
Election, 1856 — The "Know Nothings" — Election of 1858 — Sla\t;ry Days 
— 1860 Presidential Campaign — The Situation in 1860 — Stirring Times 
After the Election — Incendiary Talk. 



heterogeneous. 

The Shelbyville Spectator, the first 
newspaper of the county, was established 
at Shelbyville in the spring of 1853. F. 
M. Daulton was its first editor and pro- 
prietor, later associating with him James 
Wolff. The office was located near the 
northwest corner of the north side of 
public square and the building burned to 
the ground about a year later. 

The winter of 1856-57 was a very se- 
vere one. Mr. Holliday says : 

"The winter of 1856-57 was the 
hardest winter I ever experienced. 
Early in Octol)er there fell a great 
deal of rain, after which it turned 
cold and the ground froze hard; an- 
other rain fell and another freeze 
followed. Such was the weather during 
the entire winter. Sometimes the mud 
was so deep that the cattle could find 
no place dry enough to lie down on, 
and there was no spot in the field to place 
feed for the stock, and consequently 
quantities of feed was wasted. The feed 
being expended early, the stock fared 
badly, especially as the grass was late in 
coming up the following spring, not 
making its appearance until about the 
25th of May. Many cattle died from ex- 
posure and want of provender. 

A market was opened in Iowa for 



milch cows, as that state was being 
rajiidly settled, and during the early 
part of the spring mentioned some men 
bought up a drove of cows, destined for 
the Iowa market, but owing to the back- 
wardness of the season, they did not 
start until about the 10th of June, when, 
finding insufficient grass to maintain 
their herd, they were forced to stop at 
Salt river and remain in the bottoms, 
waiting for the grass to grow. They 
finally reached their destination in Iowa, 
where they realized a good price for 
their cattle, but having to buy feed for 
two months longer than they expected, 
the expenses took up all the profits and 
the speculation did not prove a success- 
ful one. 

In January, 1855, snow fell to the 
depth of twelve inches, followed by a 
high wind, which kept the snow moving 
for eleven days, so that breaking or mak- 
ing of roads was a thing impossible. The 
road that was tracked down during the 
day was so filled at night that not a trace 
could be found the next day. On the 
])rairies the strong northwester carried 
the snow skimming along and deposited 
it in great heaps and furbelows on the 
soutlienst territory, while the wheat in 
great fields was left ex])0sed to the frigid 
weather which followed and left it a des- 



52 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



53 



olate field. In places the "beautiful" 
was piled up over fences and people in 
sleighs and sleds could take the shortest 
cut to their destination. 

May 12, 1855, there was a heavy frost, 
killing all the fruit, and what little wheat 
had withstood the winter was in heading 
and the frost killed the greatest part 
of it. 

The fruit and leaves on the mulberry 
trees were killed, the trees put forth a 
new growth and fruit that matured." 

Records show that in the summer of 
1855 (and records differ on the date, 
some claim 1857) there was considerable 
agitation on the road subject, wanting a 
new road to Shelbiua. A petition was pre- 
sented to the county clerk, praying the 
court to change the state road from Shel- 
byville to Paris, its then location, and 
cause a new road to be made, running 
from Shelbyville to Walkersville, thence 
to Shelbiua. The court appointed three 
commissioners and instructed them to 
make a study of both roads and report 
statistics. After deliberation, the com- 
mittee reported in favor of the estab- 
lished route. The friends of the new 
road were dissatisfied and a second con- 
sideration was given the project. A 
second committee, all new members, was 
appointed, and the report was the same 
as the first. Again the Walkersville dele- 
gation succeeded in a new hearing before 
the court, a new committee was ap- 
pointed and the report remained un- 
clianged. Then matters were righted by 
the establishment of a county road cross- 
ing Salt river at Walkersville, while the 
old state road, established by the 1836 
legislature, running from Paris to the 
mouth of the Des Moines river, was left 



at its original and present place of cross- 
ing, at the old Dickersou ford. 

In July, 1855, the contract was let for 
the building of the offices of clerks of the 
county and circuit courts, attached to the 
court house. J. M. Ennis was made com- 
missioner. The contract was let, satis- 
factoril}^ complied with, and in 1858 a 
cupola was built at a cost of $.'525. S. P. 
Eagle, of Shelbyville, was its builder. 

In the spring of 1856 there were ex- 
traordinary floods in the county, the wa- 
ter swelling to unusual heights. Salt 
river and North river were at their maxi- 
mum heights, though some lay claims 
North river never exceeded her 181:4 
limit. 

In the year 1859 the Hannibal & St. 
Joe railroad was completed through the 
county. (See its history.) 

During the troublous times in Kansas 
(1854-58) regarding whether it should 
be admitted into the Union with or with- 
out slavery, a handful of our men went 
out under the auspices of the pro-slavery 
party of Missouri to help make Kansas a 
slave state. Not more than a dozen went 
and only to soon return. Thej^ were 
there long enough to vote, which was 
their sole purpose in going. 

In 1859 the Pike's Peak excitement 
carried off a number of our citizens, but 
for only a short stay. From Shelbyville 
there went forth to Congress M. H. Mar- 
maduke, George Gillaspy, Daniel Brant, 
Jenkins Bethards and a free colored man 
by the name of "Jim" Givens. 

The party started for Denver, but 
meeting hundreds who had been there 
and found only fairy tales had been told, 
they turned back at Cottonwood, Kansas, 
and returned to Home, Sweet Home. 



64 HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 

ELECTION OF 1852. Bentou was an Independent Democratic 

^ ^, „ -J X- 1 1 i- 10K0 ii candidate, with J. W. Kelly, of Holt 
In the Presidential election 1852 the , ^ r + ^ <-i ^ 

^ , . , ,, j^ ^ r,- county, for lieutenant-governor; the 

Democrats carried the countv tor Pierce ,,.'• ,, a- i 4. v \ *. n 

, ,^. ,. ,, . • , ,, "American" candidate was Robert C. 

and Ivmff over bcott and Graham, the „ . e r e *.*. -u -wn- x- „ 

,,,, .'',.. , ■, ■ ■[ Ewmg, of Lafayette, with \\ illiam ^ew- 

Whie: candidates, by a good majority. , i'^ti,, 'n ,• , . 

„ => , , ,, , p , w X laud, of Ralls, for lieutenant-governor. 

Records show the vote ot but hve town- ,^ , , r, . . • i • i ^ « i i. 

„ ,, Colonel Benton was making his last tight 

ships and thev were as tollows: „ ,.,. , • , , , 

i • for poutical existence and he was a va- 

Pierce & Scott & li^nt soldier. He canvassed from town 

Townships— King Graham to town throughout the state. 

Black Creek 147 142 "^^^^ '^^ '^'^^ ^ ^^^ ^^ strong person- 

-D ii^ J j^QC) 25 ality and clu'rished many warm friend- 

Tio-er Fork 4 9 ^t^ips throughout the state, who still re- 

rp^l^^j. ^^ 10 main loyal to him and honor him as a 

Jackson 38 26 master statesman and rear marble stat- 

uary to his memory. 

309 '^02 "^t his death, in 1858, there was gen- 
eral sorrow, and though during his polit- 
This was the last year that the Whig i^^i career some men had fought him 
party, as a party, put forth a Presiden- ]^^^,^ j^^^j i^^g^ ijj ]^ig fie^th they rever- 
sal ticket. enced his name as a great man. 

,„_„ For congress there were but two can- 

POLITIC.AX CAMPAIGN OF lOOO. j-j j. • ii ■ T i • i tt t T 

didates m this district, Hon. .James J. 
A most intensely exciting political con- Lindley, Whig, Know Nothing, &c., and 
test was that of this year, especially in Hon. James S. Green, regular Demo- 
Missouri. Not only was it a Presiden- crat, of Lewis county. The Germans of 
tial year, but a gubernatorial year, and Bethel township voted solid for Benton, 
besides there were congressmen and The result follows: 

county oflBcers to elect. Only two Presi- For Governor — R. C. Ewing, 411 ; 

dential tickets were voted in our county, Trusten Polk, 325; Thomas H. Benton, 

the Democratic, headed by James Buch- 166. Congressman — J. J. Lindley, 462; 

anan and John C. Breckenridge, and the J. S. Green, 364. Legislature — John 

Native American or "Know Nothing," McAfee, 382; G. H. Edwards. 450. Sher- 

headed by Millard Fillmore, of New iff— J. ]\r. Ennis, 447; E. L. Holliday. 

York and Andrew Jackson Donelson, of 424. Treasurer — J. M. ]\Iarmaduke, 453; 

Tennessee. This was the year the Re- ,loe Bell, 398. 
publican party iirst put out a candidate, , __„ 

^ . . ■ i • i.1 • i 1 PKESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1856 THE 

receiving no votes in this county and ,. „ 

, , „ . • i.1 ii i i. KNOW NOTHINGS. 

but few except m the northern states. 

For governor there were three candi- The Presidential election of 1856 was 

dates. Trusten Polk was the regular one of the most exciting elections ever 

Democratic nominee, wi^h Hancock .lack- known in Shelby county. The contest 

son for lieutenant-governor ; Thomas H. was between the Democratic leaders, 



HIST()I!Y OF STIELBY COU.X'J'Y 



55 



Buchanan and Breckeuridge, and the 
nominees of the Native American or 
"Know Notliing" party, Filhuore and 
Donelson. The tight was an aggressive 
one. Enthusiastic meetings were held 
and a large vote was polled. The Native 
American or "Know Nothing" partj', 
since it has become extinct, deserves spe- 
cial mention, as it once had a strong grip 
on this county. 

It was organized sometime in the de- 
cade of 1830, but remained in an em- 
bryonic stage for years, or until 1853, 
the year the Whig party went overboard, 
the "Know Notliings" embi'aced this 
opportunity and forged their way to the 
fore ranks. In 185-1: the first lodge was 
organized in this county, but in 1856 
they were quite umuerous. The party 
was an eccentric one, a secret, political 
order, its members oathbound, involving 
in the order its passwords, signs, grijjs, 
signals and salutes — all the parapher- 
nalia of the secret order. They worked 
secretly to accomplish all that they pub- 
licly professed. It carried in its mem- 
bership chiefly ex-Whigs, although it also 
made some inroads on the Democratic 
party. Its chief cornerstone or plank in 
its platform was that "Americans must 
rule America" or that none but native 
born Amei'icans and non-Catliolics can 
hold office and favored a radical change 
in the naturalization laws. It is said 
that the hailing salutation of the order 
was "Have you seen Sam!" If an- 
swered by the inquiry "Sam who?" the 
response came "Uncle Sam." Such a 
boost did the party have that they car- 
ried many counties and districts. The 
1856 platform of the "Missouri Know 
Nothings" was: 



1. That we regard the mainttenance 
of the union of these United States as 
the paramount political good. 

2. A full recognition of the rights of 
the several states, as expressed and re- 
served in the Constitution, and a. careful 
avoidance by the general government of 
all interference with their rights by the 
legislative or executive action. 

3. Obedience to the Constitution of 
these United States as the supreme law 
of the land, sacredly obligatory in all its 
parts and members — a strict construc- 
tion thereof and steadfast resistance to 
the spirit of innovation of its principles 
— avowing that in all doubtful or dis- 
puted points it may only be legally as- 
certained and expounded by the judicial 
powers of the United States. 

4. Tliat no person should be selected 
for political station, whether native or 
foreign born, who recognizes any alle- 
giance or obligation to any foreign 
prince, potentate or power, or who re- 
fuses to recognize the federal or state 
Constitutions (each within its sphere) 
as paramount to all other laws or rules 
of political action. 

5. Americans must rule America : and 
to this end, native born citizens should 
be selected for all state and federal of- 
fices in preference to naturalized citi- 
zens. 

6. A change in the laws of naturaliza- 
tion, making a continued residence of 
twenty-one years an indispensable requi- 
site for citizenship, and excluding all 
paupers and persons convicted of crime 
from landing on our shores; but no in- 
terference witli the vested rights of for- 
eigners. 

7. Persons that are born of American 



56 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



parents, residing- temporarily abroad, 
are entitled to all the rights of native- 
born citizens. 

8. An enforcement of the principle 
that no state or territory can admit oth- 
ers than native-born citizens to the 
rights of suffrage, or of holding political 
office, unless such persons have been nat- 
uralized according to the laws of the 
United States. 

9. That congress possesses no power 
under the Constitution to legislate upon 
the subject of slavery in the states where 
it does or may exist, or to exclude any 
state from admission into the union be- 
cause its Constitution does or does not 
recognize the institution of slavery as a 
part of its social system and (expressly 
pretermitting any expression of oi)inion 
upon the ])ower of congress to establish 
or prohibt slavery in any territory), it 
is the sense of this meeting that congress 
ought not to legislate upon the suliject 
of slavery within the territories of the 
United States ; and that any interference 
by congress with slavery as it exists in 
the District of Columbia, would be a vio- 
lation of the spirit and intention of the 
compact by which the state of ■Maryland 
ceded the district to the United States, 
and a breach of the natural faith. 

10. That we will abide by and main- 
tain the existing laws on the subject of 
slavery as a final and conclusive settle- 
ment of the subject in spirit and in sub- 
stance, believing this course to be the 
best guarantee of future ]3eace and fra- 
ternal amity. 

A full vote swelled the ticket in each 
party and election returns showed the 
"Know Nothings" in the majority in 
this county. The returns were: Fil- 
more ("Know Nothing"), 432; Buch- 



anan (Dem.), 37.3. The leading "Know 
Nothings" in the county were James 
Gooch, John Dunn, Leonard Dobbin, 
John S. Duncan, George Gaines, James 
Foley, Dr. J. Bell, Henry W. Sheetz, Jo- 
seph M. Irwin, Thomas 0. Eskridge and 
others. Prominent among the Demo- 
crats were Alex ^IcMurtry, AVilliam E. 
Strachan, J. M. Ennis, John McAfee, "W. 
J. Holliday, John F. Benjamin, John 
Dickerson, Perry B. Moore, Lewis Ja- 
cobs, Henry Louthan and J. B. Marma- 
duke. 

ELECTION OF 1858. 

The August election of 1858 attracted 
little attention in Shelby county. The 
state Democratic ticket and John B, 
Clark for congress had no opposition 
here, neither had Democrat J. M. Ennis 
for sheriff. There was some contest, 
however, for the legislature. The Dem- 
ocratic candidate was William Kichmond 
Strachan, who four years after became 
notorious throughout northeast Missouri 
as General McNeil's provost marshal. 
The Democrats swept everything and 
Strachan was elected by a large majority 
over the Whig candidate. Singleton, the 
Whigs losing much ground in this county 
as well as territory throughout the en- 
tire state. 

SLAVERY DAYS. 

In order to perpetuate the history of 
the past for the coming generations, 
some things are dwelt upon in these 
pages that the future may come in touch, 
actually know and feel just what the life 
of their forefathers was of other days. 
Children are educated in the day schools, 
but they too often are taught the foreign 
incidents of life. It is all in an outside 
world and is not brought within our own 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



57 



lionie laud, coimtry and county. "What 
child does uot kuow that slavery actually 
existed in other days, but how many men, 
women or children know the history of 
slavery in our own county, and the his- 
tory of slavery in our own county is an 
integral part of the history of slavery as 
it existed. 

In the early part of the year 1860, 
there were 724 slaves in Shelby county, 
which was the maximum number ever in 
the county at any one time. The majority 
of the slaves were in the south part of 
the county and were employed in agricul- 
tural pursuits. It was transplanted here 
from ^"irginia and Kentucky, from 
whence came so many of our first set- 
tlers. They owned the slaves there and 
when they moved westward, to a new 
country, they knew they would have need 
of them and, as a rule, the slaves wanted 
to come along with ' ' Massa. ' ' Few were 
ever brought into this county and sold 
on speculation, as there was no profit in 
the business, but many were taken into 
the far South and they sold there for a 
good profit, and were trafficked in large 
numbers. Under some of the loose moral 
workings of the system of the slave ne- 
gro the race increased rapidly, some of 
the slave girls becoming mothers at four- 
teen years of age. The slave owners 
worked the slave system for profit, not 
for social power and supremacy alone. 
The slave holder then planned his slave 
holdings as we plan any speculation of 
the present day to the best possible ad- 
vantage of gain. They were provided 
with comfortable cabins (which were 
cheap in that day), with coarse but com- 
fortable clothing (the kind that would 
preserve health was, of course, econ- 
omy), with substantial food and medical 



attention was promptly administered 
when they were sick, but it was not al- 
ways humanity nor a big heart which 
prompted this attention, though often- 
times it was, but in lack of kindness, self- 
interest ijrompted the act. As a rule, 
the records of the county bears witness 
that as a rule the masters were kind, con- 
siderate and loyal to their holdings. 
Slaves were personal property and rated 
in a man's estate as horses and other 
personal possessions. To be sure, they 
were considered not in part with such 
possession, yet nevertheless they rated 
according to their power of increase. 
There was no avoiding the issue. A man 
had a right to the fruit of his orchard, 
and it justly followed the owner of a fe- 
male slave had a right to the offspring 
of his property. In some states, as 
Louisiana, slaves were real estate, but in 
Missouri they became chattels. Little 
or no attention was given during slavery 
days to the education of the slaves, but 
their religious teachings were not neg- 
lected, and they were encouraged to have 
prayer meetings and to institute and con- 
duct revivals, and especially were they 
drilled to a finish on the Pauline precept, 
"Servants, obey your masters," as one 
of the foremost principles and teachings 
of Holy Writ. 

In regard to the domestic relations of 
slaves, convenience, in a degree, was the 
system adopted and the regulations of 
that day would wholly shock jDropriety 
of today. Marriages were not exploits 
to be recorded. Indeed, most often, 
there was no ceremony at all, but they 
just "flocked together." Sometimes the 
husband belonged to one master and the 
wife to another, but in most cases the 
family tie was imitated and propriety 



58 



H18T0KY OF hiHElJiY COUNTY 



outwardly ol)servecl. A mau aud wife 
occupied a cal)iu, where they made a 
home and brought uj) their children after 
the fashion of the day. 

They not only did not have to provide 
for themselves, hut they did not have to 
provide for their children. That was the 
master's business and duty. And the 
husbaud was usually satisfied with one 
wife — one at a time at any rate. The 
laxity in morals in regard to the connu- 
bial tie which existed in the South was 
not practiced here. Tales and tales have 
been told and repeated by both sides of 
the slaverj' question, tales which are too 
depraved and licentious to bear auy but 
evil fruit — which have no bearing on the 
history of Shelby county, and we pass 
them up, to only remark that while some 
looseness of morals may have existed, 
yet, as a whole, the history of our county 
was a clean one along that line, aud 
often, no doubt, could the fathers of 
some of the mulattoes be known, they 
would have been traced to depraved, dis- 
reputable white men who were not slave 
holders. 

It became quite a common practice for 
a slave owner to hire out his slaves to 
those who had no slaves, and a good 
slave will l)ring in to his master $250 per 
annum and his keep. It was made an 
indictable ofl'ense for a master to ]iermit 
a slave to hire his own time, aud it was 
also an offense to deal in them unless 
you had a permit. 

Men and women could be hired alike. 
To give you some idea of the terms of 
such a deal, we copy a letter which sets 
forth terms: 

Feb. .3, 1S44. 

^[y. James Alger: Sir — I beg to en- 
lighten vou that the woman you wish to 



hire belongs to me. You can have her a 
year for seventy dollars by clothing her 
as well as she gets at home — two winter 
dresses, one summer dress, two shifts, 
one blanket, two pair shoes and stock- 
ings, and for the child two winter 
dresses, two summer dresses and two 
shifts. You'll have to lose the time lost 
in sickness by the woman, and I'll pay 
the doctor bills. You'll have to send for 
and return her when her time is out. 

Yours truly, 
CHAELES LEIP. 

As we have stated, as a rule, the rela- 
tion of the slave holder to his slaves was 
a peaceable one. As we have unkind and 
harsh fathers and mothers, so we had 
masters more or less cruel, but as a rule 
the slave owners were both reasonable 
and just. 

In every municipal townshi]) there 
were ])atrols appointed by the county 
coui't, whose duty it was to patrol their 
respective townships a certain number 
of times every month and "keep tab" on 
the movements and aml)itions of the 
slaves. 

Slavery meant eternal vigilance. They 
required a continual oversight. 

There was ever creeping forth that 
ambition for freedom, whose designs had 
to be nii^iied in the bud. In sultordinate 
ones they had to be quelled, and loahng, 
prowling and quarreling had to be sup- 
))ressed and broken up. To prevent 
these disorders was the business of the 
])atrols. They were organized under 
their leaders and captains, and it was 
their duty to make their rounds at un- 
expected times and as suddenly as in his 
]iower lieth. No slave was allowed off 
the premises of his master after 9 



IIISTOIJY OF SHELBY C()i:XTY 



59 



o'clock at night without a written pass 
from his master or employer. All of- 
fenders were made prisoners and pun- 
ished. 

And the negroes had a pleasant lot, 
and perchance many of them were better 
off temporally and physically than to- 
day ; but who is there that does not prize 
freedom above temporal blessings ! Then 
they had their social pleasures, their 
dances, their frolics, and various assem- 
blages. 

(^orn-huskings were a diversion at 
which many of them gathered and 
laughed and chatted and husked and 
threw corn at each other. Then there 
originated a custom, after the husking- 
bee, to hoist the master to the shoulders 
of the men and carry him about the 
premises, singing songs improvised for 
the great occasion. 

In the Civil war there were about 
seventy-five enlisted colored men from 
this county. The great part of them 
enlisted in the 2d Missouri and 1st Iowa 
"African Descent." 

In 18G5, when the slaves were freed, 
many of them were anxious for a taste 
of liberty, and left their mistress and 
master and "set up" for themselves. 
Many of them had a distaste for country 
life and made a "bee line" for Hannibal, 
Palmyra and Macon. 

Others left the state, going where anti- 
slavery people lived, expecting to re- 
ceive therefrom much substantial sym- 
pathy and assistance, but few ever 
realized their fond ambitions. ]\[any of 
them got into their "noggin" that when 
the country freed them it would make 
them a donation, — and they are still 
looking for their "forty acres and a 
mule." 



The Civil war was a death blow to 
slavery. In 1862-63 hundreds of slaves 
left their masters. No one can imagine 
the change that the tui-n of the wheel 
wrought. Even the slaves of the Union- 
ists ran away. When by legislative 
enactment and the adoption of the thir- 
teenth amendment the state set all slaves 
free, there was a great deal of discon- 
tent. Men vowed they would not rent 
the colored people a foot of ground nor 
lift their hand to aid them; but time 
has dealt kindly with us, obliterating all 
that feeling, and now very few would re- 
store slavery to our country if they had 
that power. In 1860 the poimlation 
read : 6,565 ; slaves, 724 ; free colored. 1 2 ; 
grand total, 7,301. 

1860 PRESroENTIAL CAMPAIGN. 

The 1860 presidential campaign was 
one that will ever be kept fresh in the 
minds of oncoming generations, because, 
for its remarkable surroundings and 
cliaracteristics, its history will ever be 
per]ietuated and kept before the minds 
of the people. Not only was its charac- 
ter affected by preceding events, but it 
was the pivot on which swung succeed- 
ing history. Among the events which 
preceded the election and gave color to 
the results, were the inflammatoiy 
speeches of great leaders of the Demo- 
cratic and Republican parties in both the 
North and the South ; the enactment in 
the various northern states of the "per- 
sonal liberty bills," which rendered in- 
oiierative in those states the fugitive 
slave law; exciting and printed debates 
in congress over the repeal of the Mis- 
souri Compromise; also the Kansas- 
Nebraska controversy, the John Brown 
raid on Harper's Ferry, Ya., in the fall 



60 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



of 1859, and other minor details of more 
or less importance. 

The coimtry was up in arms with ex- 
citement, and right in the midst of the 
enthusiasm on came the presidential 
cam^jaign, which added fire to the flames 
already aglow. Everywhere the slavery 
question was the all-absorbing topic. 
The populace was wrought into a frenzy. 
The Republican party, which as yet had 
not received a single vote in Shelby 
county, had carried by a large majority 
the North states in the 1856 canvass 
and since that time added new strength 
to its ranks from year to year, and as 
there was strife in the Democratic ranks, 
encouraged by the gains they had con- 
tinually made, they fought like tigers to 
win their tickets. Enthusiasm had struck 
both parties, but the Democratic party 
could not unite its forces, and at the 
Democratic convention at Charleston, 
S. C, on April 2.3, after a stormy and 
discordant session lasting several days, 
the ranks remained as they were at the 
beginning, a divide that could not be 
bridged, and two sets of candidates were 
nominated. Stephen A. Douglas and 
Herchel B. Johnson were the names for 
president and vice president of the regu- 
lars, and John C. Breckinridge and 
Joseph Lane by the southern or states' 
rights division of the party. 

The "Constitutional Union" party 
was one composed of old Whigs, Know 
Nothings and conservatives from differ- 
ent parties. It nominated John Bell, of 
Tennessee, and Edward Everett, of 
:Massachusetts, on the following brief 
but comprehensive platform: "The 
Union, the Constitution and the enforce- 
ment of the laws." 

The Republicans then forged to the 



front with Abraham Lincoln and Hanni- 
bal Hamlin, declaring principally in their 
platform that each state had the absolute 
rigiit to control and manage its own 
domestic institutions, denying that the 
constitution, of its own force, carried 
slavery into the territories whose nor- 
mal condition was said to be that of 
freedom. Summarized, their platform 
declared hostility to the extension of 
slavery, but non-interference where it 
did not exist. 

Missouri's situation was indeed a 
peculiar one. She was the only neigh- 
boring slave state bordering on the ter- 
ritories of Nebraska and Kansas, and 
she was deeply concerned, from a selfish 
if not a sentimental motive. She was 
both ! Her people or their ancestors 
came largely from Virginia, Tennessee 
and Kentucky, primitive slave-holding 
states, and many owned slaves or were 
otherwise interested in the preservation 
of an institution against which the Re- 
iniblican party had dealt a blow. From 
a sentimental view it was thought to be 
unmanly or cowardly to yield to the coer- 
cion or dictates of tlie northern aboli- 
tionists. 

The struggle was a memorable one. 
Politics were stirring. Each side fought 
for added strength. The canvass in the 
state was a spirited one. The division 
in the Democratic party was manifest in 
Missouri. The state convention nomi- 
nated Claiborne F. Jackson, of Saline 
county, for governor. The Bell and 
Everett party first nominated Robert 
Wilson, of Andrew, and on his with- 
drawal, Hon. S. Orr, of Green county. 
Then ])oliti('ians commenced to sound 
Afr. Jackson as to his personal views on 
the ])rinci)inl rjuostion over which the 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



61 



states were contending, and, last bnt not 
least, which of the Democratic nominees 
did he favor. For a period of time the 
wily politician succeeded in eluding their 
strategic efforts, bnt at last thej' cor- 
nered him in snch a manner that he came 
and fairly and squarely announced him- 
self for Douglas because he believed him 
to be a regularly and fairly chosen nomi- 
nee of the party, but also announced 
himself as in utmost sympathy with 
some of the Breckenridge ^^rinciples, 
which called forth again much criticism 
and dissension ; and soon thereafter the 
Breckenridge men called a state conven- 
tion and nominated Hancock Jackson, of 
Howard, for governor, and Monroe M. 
Parsons, of Cole, for lieutenant- 
governor. 

Encouraged by the widening gulf in 
the Democratic party, the Bell and 
Everett party had high hopes of electing 
their gubernatorial candidate at the 
August election and then carrying the 
state for Bell the following November. 

To this end they used all possible 
means of widening the breach in the 
Democratic party to further the success 
of the cause they promulgated ; but their 
tactics were foreseen by the enemy and 
they made it uji to disagree on the presi- 
dential nominee but to support, as a 
whole, C. F. Jackson and Thomas C. 
Eeynolds at the August election, and the 
outcome was their election by 10,000 
majority, C. F. Jackson (Douglas Dem- 
ocrat), 74,44G; Sample Orr (Bell and 
Everett), 64,583; Hancock Jackson 
(Breckenridge Democrat), 11,41."); J. B. 
(Jardenhire (Repul)lican), 6,135. 

The Shelby county vote was: C F. 
Jackson, 64; Sample Orr, 576; Hancock 
Jackson, 95; (fardenhire. 91 ; which was 



the first Republican vote ever cast in 
Shelby county. 

It was said the railroads brought into 
the county many Republicans, and the 
Germans of the county cast their votes 
to that faith. 

Nothing daunted by their defeat in 
August, the Bell and Everett contingent 
of Missouri kept up their fight for their 
l)residential nominee, and only fell short 
a few hundred votes of electing their 
man in the November election. The vote 
as recorded was; 

Douglas electors 58,801 

Belfelectors 58,372 

Breckenridge electors 31,317 

Lincoln electors 17,028 

Douglas majority over Bell 429 

Douglas majority over Brecken- 
ridge 24,484 

Records say that many Democrats cast 
their lot for Bell as the only candidate 
who could defeat Lincoln. In the Octo- 
ber elections the Republicans had car- 
ried Indiana, Pennsylvania and Ohio, 
and Lincoln's election looked almost in- 
evitable. Fusion tickets against the 
Republicans had been formed in New 
York, New Jersey and other eastern 
states, and it was predicted the Tennes- 
see statesman might be elected after all. 

The result for president in Shelby 
county stood: Bell, 702; Douglas, 476; 
Breckenridge, 293 ; Lincoln, 90. Bell re- 
ceived almost the Douglas and Brecken- 
ridge vote combined. The Republicans 
restored to Lincoln all the votes but one 
that had been cast to Gardenhire; and 
the Rejiublicans cannot yet compute the 
loss of that vote, so systematically were 
they organized. Some jocosely say "ho 



62 



HISTORY or SHELBY COUNTY 



died" and some contend "it died," while 
others contend that the official record of 
1860 was surely erroneous, contending 
that ninety Lincoln votes were not to be 
found in the county of Shelby in 1860. 

THE SITUATION IN 1860. 

The troubles in Kansas and the de- 
bates in congress on the subject of 
slavery had given force to the forma- 
tion of a new party wholly devoted to 
the work of opposing the extension of 
slavery. It took in time the name Re- 
publican. In 1856 its candidate for the 
presidency was John C. Fremont, a 
son-in-law of Thomas H. Benton. He 
received 114 of the 296 electoral votes; 
hence the new party had great hopes of 
success as the camijaign of 1860 came on. 
Public feeling was hysterical. The whole 
country was aflame with sectional ani- 
mosities. The agitation for abolition 
had stirred the American people as 
nothing had ever done in the past. A 
mass of peoi)le in the northern states 
were determined to destroy slavery at 
any cost. Many southerners felt that 
the only way to preserve their own peace 
and property was to quietly withdraw 
from the Union. 

Others said to remain in the Union 
and settle their difficulties there. It does 
seem strange now that a civilized people, 
who had established and for seventy 
years lived under a republic of popular 
sovereigiity, could possibly have desired 
a perpetuation of slavery. But there 
were no meliorating circumstances. 
Slavery had formerly existed in all the 
colonies. When it became unprofitable in 
the North the slaves were sold to the 
soutlicrners, with whom it was profit- 



able. Many slave owners had inherited 
tliem from their fathers, and slaves were 
valuable projjerty. The average man is 
slow to give up valuable property with- 
out resistance, and it was a problem 
to know what to do with them if tliey 
were freed. Many jjersons feared the 
consequence if millions of ignorant 
people should be turned loose, penni- 
less, among their former masters. 

Beyond a doubt, slavery had been a 
benefit to the slaves themselves. They 
were taken from the savages and bar- 
barians of Africa, and while in slavery 
they had received many benefits from 
the habits of civilization. They had 
learned how to work, and tliat exalted 
them and made them less dangerous free- 
men. It had prepared them to enjoy 
their liberty when it should come, — a 
desire which was becoming a part of 
their being. 

STIEKING TIMES .4FTER THE ELECTION. 

As may have been expected by the 
returns from Shelby county, when the 
news of the election of Lincoln and Ham- 
lin were received, dissatisfaction was 
evident on every hand; but after the 
first sting was passed they settled down 
to abide the consequences and await the 
result. A number of citizens, however, 
avowed themselves unconditional Union 
men, as they had every year since 1850, 
as in convention they met from time to 
time, and these were some who voted 
for Bell, men wlio had voted for Doug- 
las, and even some of Breckenridge's 
constituency were found among the 
Unionists. However, upon the secession 
of South Carolina and some other south- 
ern states, many changed their view. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



63 



Secessionists one week were Unionists 
the next, and vice versa ; but, above all, 
there fluttered a hope that civil war 
might be averted. 

Conservative men were trembling for 
the republic. There were the North and 
the South radicals that no terms of peace 
would appease. They did everything 
within their power to rend the common- 
wealth in twain. The northern fanatics 
did not want to live in a country where 
one-half depended on the rearing of 
children for the slave market, for pros- 
perity; the constitution that permitted 
slavery was classified as an instrument 
of infamy, and the flag was denounced as 
an infamous lie. 

At the same time, the southern radi- 
cals were as pronounced in their vindic- 
tive accusations, claiming that they had 
been and were about to be trampled on 
by the North, and therefore they were 
seceders and believed in breaking up a 
government which they could not con- 
trol. The majority, however, of this 
county, believed that the good of ]\Iis- 
souri was identical with the good of 
other slave-holding states, but they were 
conservative enough to want to await the 
developments of the new administration 
before withdrawing the state from the 
Union. "Let us await the movements 
of the administration," was heard on 
every side; yet a goodly minority 
thought they could foresee the result 
and were in favor of secession at once. 



' INCENDIAEY TALK. 

At Circuit court on the fourth Monday 
in November, 1860, the slaves belonging 
to the estate of George Gaines, deceased, 
were sold at the court house door, and 
during the sale there was a little Dutch- 
man who was about half drunk and who 
swore it was not right to sell negroes. 
Although he talked very broken, the by- 
standers understood enough to think he 
was saying something aliout the divine 
institution of slavery; and he was ar- 
rested, taken before a justice of the 
]ieace, and had to give bond for his ap- 
pearance at the next court, or go to jail 
to await the action of the next grand 
jury at the next term of Circuit court. 

His was an indictable offense under 
the statutes of Missouri, which said that 
if any person should say anything in the 
hearing of a negro calculated to make 
him rebellious or insubordinate, such 
person, on conviction, should be sent to 
the penitentiary for a term of not less 
than five years. The Dutchman gave 
bond for his appearance, but did not 
appear. If he had he would have stood 
a good chance for the penitentiary, for 
the negroes were not allowed to swear 
whether they heard certain remarks or 
not, and men were convicted on the testi- 
mony of prosecuting witnesses who 
swore they "believed the negroes 
heard," etc. This was the way such 
trials were generally managed. 

Holliday, "Sketches." 



CHAPTER VI. 

The Col'xty's War Eecord — The Moemox AVae — The Iowa "\Vae — Shelby Fig- 
ures IX Mexicax "War — The "War of 1861 — Governor Jackson Refuses to 
Respond — The Hunnewell IMeeting — The Flag-Raising Period— The First 
Federal Troops — First Union Company Organized— Salt River Bridge 
Burned — Join Green's Company — Green Takes Shelbina — Report of Col. 
N. G. "Williams, Third Iowa Infantry — "What the Kansas Officers Said — 
Second Burning of Salt River Bridge — Shelby'^ County- Confederate 
Troops — Movement of Union Forces — General Grant in Shelby — Secession 
of Missouri — County Court Meetings — Changes in County* Officials. 



the county's war record. 

The citizenship of Shelby county, be 
it said to their ci'edit, are and always 
have been a peaceable and law-abiding 
people. They, ho^Vever, are not cowards, 
and whenever a call has been made for 
volunteers to defend our nation's honor, 
Shelby has willing-ly responded with her 
just proportion. The people, however, 
are the peaceable kind, and prefer to 
live the simple life around the home fire- 
side rather than to shoulder a rifle and 
march to war. "Were all nations like 
Shelby county the time would soon come 
when, as Isaiah said nearly three thou- 
sand years ago, "they shall beat their 
swords into ])lows]iares and their svears 
into pruning hooks : Nation shall not 
lift up sword against nation, neither 
shall they learn war any more." 

The ]ieople of Shelby county, however, 
participated to some extent in four wars. 

the mormon W.iR. 

The followers of Joseph Smith, who 
claimed to have received from an angel 



a new bible (1827) at Palmyra, X. Y., 
had found their way into Missouri and 
had settled in the western part of the 
state. The people clamored for their 
expulsion, and in 1838 and 1839 consider- 
able skirmishing took place in Caldwell 
and Carrol counties between the militia 
of Missouri and the disciples of Joseph. 
It was to uphold the honor of the state 
that Capt. S. S. Matson, in the early 
part of the year 1839, was sent with a 
company of Shelby county volunteers to 
the field of battle. The company got 
only as far as Keytesville, Chariton 
county, and then disbanded and returned 
home, without so much as the smell of 
iwwder on their coats. 

the IOWA war. 

Missourians located along tlie liorder 
of Iowa had for years been in a dispute 
with their Iowa neighbors over the boun- 
dary line between the two states. At 
times the contention took on a serious 
phase. The people of Iowa and Alissouri 
became revengeful and unfriendly, and 



64 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



65 



from 1837 to 1845 there were numerous 
small but sometimes quite serious en- 
gagements between the two contending 
sections. To aid their ]\Iissouri neigh- 
bors a company of infantry was organ- 
ized in about the year 1840 in Shelby 
and sent to the front. The matter was, 
however, settled by the Supreme court 
of the United States, and the infantry, 
like Captain Matson's company, turned 
around and marched right home again, 
without the stain of blood upon their 
hands. 

SHELBY FIGURES IN THE MEXICAN WAR. 

Wlien a company was organized in 
July, 1846, at Palmyra, to reinforce Col. 
Sterling Price's 2d Missoui-i Mounted 
Infantry, with Gen. David Willock as 
ca]itain, Shelby furnished some valiant 
volunteers. On arriving at Port Leaven- 
worth; Colonel Price's regiment was 
foimd full, and four additional compa- 
nies that were present, including the 
company from Marion, were formed into 
an extra battalion, to be attached to the 
regiment. Willock was elected lieutenant- 
colonel and Anson Smith succeeded him 
as captain of Company I, of Marion. 
Samuel Shepard later succeeded Smith. 
Of Company I, 2d Missouri Volunteers, 
"VV i 1 1 c k ' s Extra Battalion, Shelby 
county, furnished : 

James A. Carothers, first lieutenant 
(dead), and privates William H. Brown, 
George W. Barker, J. Calvin Carothers, 
Robert Clark (died in service at Las 
Vegas, February 22, 1847), James R. 
Creel, Thomas S. Dunbar, Peter P. 
Davis, James Parker, W. R. Strachan, 
General McNeal (provost marshal). 

The company left Palmyra, July 20. 
1846, arrived at Fort Leavenworth in 



due time, and was mustered into service 
August 20. Arrived at Santa Fe in 
October, in which section they spent their 
term of service. Some of our members 
joined the assault on El Moro, Janu- 
ary 25, 1847, and were also in our Indian 
fight on the Seneca river, February 1, 
1847. 

The principal service rendered, how- 
ever, was guard and garrison duty at 
Las Vegas, Santa Fe and Taos, and in 
grazing camps. In the fall of 1847 the 
company was mustered out at Leaven- 
worth and returned home October 10-12. 
The company marched from Mexico to 
Leavenworth, thence to Palmyra, most 
of those from Shelby stopping at home 
en route. 

THE WAE OF 1861. 

The twenty-first general assembly of 
the state of Missouri met at Jefferson 
City on December 31, 1860. The Shelby 
county representative, Hon. John Mc- 
Afee, played a jirominent part in the 
proceedings of this assembly. Mr. Mc- 
Afee was chosen speaker of the house 
as a Democrat of the extreme pro- 
slavery wing of the party. He received 
seventy-seven votes to forty-three for 
Marcus Boyd of Greene county, a Bell- 
Everett man, and four for Thomas L. 
Price, of Cole county, a Douglas-Dunn 
man, and one for John Hyer, of Dent 
county. This was a great honor for 
Shelby county and also to her illustrious 
representative, who was chosen to this 
high position at so critical a period in 
the history of the state. The message 
sent to the legislature by the retiring 
governor, Hon. Robert M. Stewart, was 
mild and conservative on the slavery 
and secession proposition. To show how 



66 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



conservative he was, we give tlie follow- 
ing extract from his message: "The 
people of Missouri ought not to be fright- 
ened from their propriety by the past 
unfriendly relation of the North, nor 
dragooned into secession by the re- 
stricted legislation of the extreme 
South." 

The inaugural message of Governor 
Claiborne Fox Jackson was not so con- 
servative. He held that the interests 
and destiny of the slave-holding states 
were the same; that the state was in 
favor of remaining in the Union as long 
as there was any hope of maintaining 
the guarantees of the constitution, but 
that in the event of a failure to reconcile 
the differences which then threatened 
the disruption of the Union, it would 
be the duty of the state "to stand by 
the South," and that he was utterly op- 
posed to the doctrine of coercion in any 
event. Governor Jackson concluded his 
message by recommending that a state 
convention be called "in order that the 
will of the people may be ascertained 
and effectuated." 

The legislature on January 17th 
passed a bill in accordance with Gov- 
ernor Jackson's recommendation, calling 
a convention and appointing the follow- 
ing February 18th as the day of the 
election of delegates, and February 28th 
as the day that the convention should 
convene. The bill also provided that 
there should be three delegates from 
each senatorial district, so that in the 
aggregate the convention was composed 
of three times as many delegates as there 
were state senators. 

Restrictions and limitations were, 
however, placed ujion the authority 
granted to this body of men, so that no 



act, ordinance or resolution passed by 
them should become valid until ratified 
by a majority of the qualified voters of 
the state voting upon the question. 

It therefore became impossible for 
Missouri to secede from the Union with- 
out a vote of a majority of her qualified 
voters. Hon. Charles H.. Hardin, of the 
Boone-Callaway district, was the author 
of this part of the resolutions. Mr. 
Hardin was afterwards elected governor. 

At that time, as now, Shelby county 
was comprised in the district with Adair 
and Macon counties, which was then the 
seventh district. Each county was al- 
lowed to name a candidate on the uncon- 
ditional Union ticket. The three can- 
didates were John D. Foster, of Adair; 
Frederick Eowland, of Macon, and 
Joseph M. Irwin, of Shelby. G. W. 
Hillias, a young lawyer of Shelbyville, 
was selected as the conditional Union 
candidate. He was to vote for secession 
on certain conditions that might possibly 
arise. Mr. Hillias later, or on March 7, 
1861, established the Shelby County 
Weekly, a newspaper which he published 
at Shelbyville. Irwin and his two run- 
ning mates were elected by a large 
majority, and on the very day that Jef- 
ferson Davis was inaugurated president 
of the Confederacy. Shelby voted nearly 
three to one for the unconditional Union 
candidates. Sterling Price, of Chariton 
county, was chosen president of the con- 
vention that assembled at Jefferson City, 
February 28, 1861. Mr. Price was later 
a distinguished general in the Confed- 
erate army. After being in session for 
two days, the convention adjourned to 
meet in St. Louis on the 4tli of iMarch 
following, the day that Abraham Lin- 
coln became ]>resident. TTei-e it con- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Gr 



tinned in session until Marcli 22d, at 
which time an adjournment was taken 
until the third Monday in December, un- 
less called together prior to that date 
by a call of a majority of a committee 
of seven. Of the ninety-nine members 
of this convention, fifty-three were na- 
tives of Virginia or Kentucky, three were 
Germans, and one an Irishman. Thir- 
teen were from the North. On the 9th 
day of March the committee on federal 
relations, through its chairman, Hon. 
Hamilton R. Gamble, of St. Louis, made 
a report declaring that secession by Mis- 
souri was "certainly not demanded." 
The report further said, ' ' The true posi- 
tion for Missouri to assume is that of a 
state whose interests are bound up in 
the maintenance of the Union, and whose 
kind feelings and strong sympathies are 
with the people of the southern states, 
with whom we are connected by the ties 
of friendship and blood." 

There were only five or six votes in 
opposition to the resolution. Throughout 
the proceedings of the convention Mr. 
Irwin was a radical Union man. He did 
not figure prominently in the debates 
during these strenuous days, but his 
votes were all cast on the side of the 
radical Union men. He cast his vote 
for the test oaths, and on July — , 186.3, 
(the day the convention adjourned sine 
die.) he voted for the ordinance emanci- 
pating the slaves, to take effect July 4, 
1876, and providing for the payment to 
every loyal owner of the sum of $300 for 
every slave so emancipated. 

It was now war — war and rumors of 
war. The people of Shelby county were 
as intensely agitated over the matter as 
a people could possible be. The only 
topic of conversation was war. A large 



part of the population of the county sym- 
pathized with the South and freely and 
openly gave expression to their feelings, 
while the Union side likewise had many 
friends and defenders. War was not 
only freely discussed, but many actually 
prepared for it, while others declared in 
conservative tones that Missouri had 
done nothing to bring on a war, and 
would do nothing to help it along should 
one break out. They would say, "We 
are neither secessionists nor abolition- 
ists, and we are neither fanatics nor 
fire-eaters." 

The Union men and the secessionists, 
however, began to hold secret meetings. 
Friendly they remained as they met 
each other in the everyday walks of life ; 
but the smell of powder was being 
wafted by every breeze that crossed the 
county, and in the dim distance the clank 
of arms and the muffled beat of the drum 
could be heard. While the meetings were 
supposed to be secret, they were known 
to both sides. The deliberations, how- 
ever, were intended to be kept strictly 
within the breast of each attendant. 
Both sides began to prepare for war, in 
case of an emerency, while each side 
hoijed for peace. They resolved that if 
come it must they would have their pow- 
der dry and their affairs in a condition 
that they might loyally give their time 
and service to the cause they believed to 
be right and just. It matters little now 
which side was on the right and which 
side was in error, one thing can be said 
to the credit of both sides : no men were 
ever more sincere, more in earnest, and 
more honest in o]nnion. 

The citizens of the surrounding coun- 
ties were also busy. Lewis, Knox, Adair 
and Clark, to the liorth, had declared in 



68 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



numerous public meetings for the Union. 
Monroe, to the south, favored the Crit- 
tenden compromise, while Marion, to the 
east, favored openly the cause of seces- 
sion. The citizenship of the county was 
nervous, feverish and excited during the 
winter of 1861. The Union sentiment 
seemed to predominate, yet the seces- 
sionists were bold and demonstrative, 
and on March 16 many attended the Con- 
federate flag-raising at Emerson, Marion 
county, and later the same event at Pal- 
myra. This fired their souls with enthu- 
siasm and filled their hearts with sym- 
pathy for their southern kinsmen. Many, 
yes, perhaps nine-tenths of their number, 
were connected with the South by strong 
cords of kinship, of birth, and other self- 
interests. Hon. G. Watts Hillias, who 
had been defeated as delegate to the 
state convention on the conditional 
Union ticket, now edited the Shelby 
County Weekly, at Shelbyville, and while 
in fact he was a secessionist, he was 
mild and in tone for the Union, with 
many "ifs" and provisos. 

G0\^EN0R JACKSON REFUSES TO RESPOND. 

On the 12th day of April, 1861, when 
Fort Sumter was fired on by the Con- 
federates, there was great excitement 
throughout the whole country, which was 
participated in by even the peaceable 
citizens of Shelby. President Lincoln 
immediately issued a proclamation call- 
ing for seventy-five thousand volunteers, 
but Governor Jackson refused to resjiond 
to the call or requisition on Missouri. 
This news rapidly spread over Missouri, 
and many openly declared in favor of 
secession, while others stood steadfastly 
by the Union. 

Governor Jackson issued a call on the 



22d of April for an extra session of the 
legislature, as he said in the call, "for 
the purpose of enacting such laws and 
adopting such measures as may be 
deemed necessary and proper for the 
more perfect organization and equip- 
ment of the militia of the state, and to 
raise money enough and such other 
means as may be required to place the 
state in proper attitude for defense." 
This extraordinary session of the legis- 
lature lasted only twelve days, from May 
12th to May 23d inclusive. The speaker 
of the house, Hon. John McAfee, of 
Shelby county, stood by the governor on 
all his measures. He zealously supported 
the governor's war bills, known as Jack- 
son's military bill, and all the measures 
adopted against the federal government. 

THE HUNNEWELL MEETING. 

A public meeting had been called to 
take place at Hunnewell on the 13th day 
of April. It so happened that this meet- 
ing followed the firing on Fort Sumter. 
Both sides were to be represented, and 
the cord of excitement was drawn to its 
utmost tension. The meeting was held 
and G. Watts Hillias represented the 
secessionists and Esquire Samuel B. 
Hardy, of Jackson township, espoused 
the cause of the Unionists. Al McAfee, 
who died only a few years ago at his 
home in Clarence, and who was a strong 
southern sympathizer, attended the 
meeting. It seems Mr. McAfee was 
somewhat disappointed in the way Hil- 
lias had presented the cause of the 
South, and he (McAfee) gave vent to 
his feelings, in an article published in 
the Weekly the following issue of the 
paper. To give the readers of this his- 
tory some idea of the feeling that 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



69 



existed in those days, no less on the one 
side than on the other, we reproduce 
Mr. McAfee's letter: 

' ' I attended the meeting at Hunnewell 
on Saturday last, and propose to give 
your readers a few items. In vain we 
have looked for a peaceful solution of 
our national trouble. War has begun 
and the time is at hand when every man 
should speak boldly and fearlessly his 
sentiment. Men cannot longer hide their 
real opinions under high-sounding and 
once loved and much cherished names. 
It is the high duty of every man to speak 
and act for whichever side he deems 
right. I am a southerner in the full 
sense of the word. I am proud of the 
name, and therefore neither afraid nor 
ashamed to make the avowal. All my 
feelings are with the South. I believe 
they have truth, justice and right on 
their side, and, such being the case, a 
justice-loving God will aid them in their 
glorious struggle for independence. 

"I attended that meeting to hear Hil- 
lias make a speech. I wanted to hear a 
secession speech, right out, but I was 
mistaken. He is a secessionist on cer- 
tain conditions. The young man, in a 
clear, forceful manner, presented the 
position he occupied in the recent can- 
vass. He was not for immediate seces- 
sion — wanted a fair and honorable com- 
]iromise, but, failing in this, was in favor 
of ^Missouri uniting her destiny with the 
South. We understood in this section 
that lio was an immediate secessionist, 
and that his opponent occupied precisely 
the position which I find Hillias occu- 
pied. Hence your readers can reason- 
ably account for the heavy vote given for 
the so-called Union ticket. We are not .sub- 



missionists by any means. He gave the 
black Republicans some lovely blows. He 
closed his speech, which was able and 
eloquent, with some just and cutting re- 
marks in regard to the proceedings of 
our state convention. He spoke thus of 
the majority. What a horrible imposi- 
tion this convention affair is ! 

"Judge S. B. Hardy arose to reply; 
said he had been requested so to do by 
some of the leading men of the party in 
this section. The judge began by com- 
plimenting Abe Lincoln. Said that Lin- 
coln had done all that man could do for 
the welfare of his country; that the 
black Republican party had already 
given the South more than they asked 
and seemed somewhat displeased at Hil- 
lias because he was hard on the black 
Republicans. Said he must not judge 
the black Republicans too hard — must 
give the devil his due. The judge, in his 
anxiety to relieve the black Republican 
party from any censure, was willing to 
make Judge Douglas a black Republican. 
Now, I have no fondness for some of 
Judge Douglas's views, yet, if he can 
preach black Republican doctrine with a 
more hearty will than did Judge Hardy, 
he is too black for me. 

"I venture the assertion that Giddings 
himself does not more warmly support 
Abe Lincoln than did Judge Hardy, and 
yet he would feel himself insulted if I 
were to call him a black Republican. For 
shame, Judge; you and those who act 
with you — who sustain Lincoln and 
preach the same doctrines of his party — 
do have the moral courage to come out 
at once and say you are black Repub- 
licans ! It would be more manly. In fact, 
we would respect you all more. AVlay 



70 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



seek to hide under the name of Union, 
unless you all intend to form a new party 
composed of black Eepublican principles 
and adopt the name of Union the better 
to deceive the masses? It is a good 
name, for you are all 'unconditional 
Union men' — submissionists in the true 
and full sense of the word. Southern 
men tvith northern principles don't suit 
this climate. There is no excuse for men 
to act thus. The Union of our fathers is 
dead. Black Bepublicans killed it. 

"We who loved it, and attested that 
by following its light, now deeplj' mourn 
over it. We would gather up the bro- 
ken fragments and, placing them as they 
have been placed by our noble brethren 
of the South, would assist to guard those 
glorious particles forever. 

"The question for Missourians to 
settle is whether they will unite their 
destiny to a white man's southern con- 
federacy or with the negro confederacy 
of the North. Again, Judge, as you were 
the representative of your party, of 
course they endorse your views, and you 
said you were opposed to those seceded 
states being acknowledged inde]iendent 
by the government at Washington; 
hence you are in favor of coercion. 
That was a manly confession of yours. 
But I had understood your party had 
backed down from that position. 'Tis 
the same that your brethren of the North 
occupy. They are all in favor of coer- 
cion. The war has begun. When the 
judge closed, a glorious shout went up 
for the young champion of constitutional 
rights, and the way he poured hot shot 
into the .judge and his black Republican 
allies would do the soul of an honest 
man good. 



"Now, I imdertake to say that the 
people of this township do not endorse 
any such sentiment as Judge Hardy 
uttei-ed on Saturday last; nor do they 
endorse the policy jDursued by a majority 
in the convention. The men are brave 
and intelligent; they loved the Union 
wliile it was one, but they are not base 
submissionists. Therefore it is useless 
for men under the garb of the Union to 
attempt to hide their love for black 
Republicanism. A. McAfee. 

"Jackson Township, April 16, 1861." 

THE FLAG-RAISING PERIOD. 

The Union sympathizers and the seces- 
sionists both began to stir them.selves. 
The Confedei'ates, however, were the 
most active, and began to show their 
loyalty to the cause they advocated by 
hoisting secession flags. These emblems 
were identical with the one used by the 
Confederate States. The first Confed- 
erate flag that was raised in Shelby 
county was the one that stood in William 
Baker's door-yard, at the place now 
called Cherry Box. The land on which 
the flag stood is now owned by J. G. 
Detwiler. Quite a crowd of southern 
sympathizers gathered at the jDole- 
raising, and Capt. William H. Rawlings 
made a violent secession speech. In INIay 
a similar flag was raised on the south 
side of the court house square, near the 
entrance to the court house, in Shelby- 
ville. This was a great day for the 
southern cause in Shelby county. Nu- 
merous speakers were invited, but the 
only ones to respond were Hon. James S. 
Green, for whom J. M. Ennis drove in a 
buggy to Canton, Lewis county, and Ed- 
ward McCabe, of Palmyra. Green was 



HIST01?Y OF SHELBY COUNTY 



71 



one of Missouri's greatest orators, and 
in 1857 was elected to the United States 
senate to serve from 1857 to 1861, and 
was defeated for re-election by the legis- 
lature in 1861 because he was a seces- 
sionist. However, he received seventy- 
six votes on one ballot, which was witliin 
three votes of a majority. Green made 
a brilliant speech, which was very bitter 
on the Union men. During the course of 
his speech, and addressing himself to 
any federals who might be present, he 
said: "If you win the day we will 
leave the state ; if we win, you shall 
leave." This statement was vigorously 
applauded by the secessionists present. 

The speaking was held in the court 
house. The flag was made by the seces- 
sion ladies of the town and afterwards 
divided and made into dresses by the 
ladies to prevent its capture by the 
federal troops. From this time on the 
Confederate flag waved over many 
homes in different parts of the county. 

The Union men did not hoist any flags, 
but were busy just the same. They 
effected an organization at Miller's mill, 
in the eastern part of the county, and 
in Shelbyville, Ben McCoy, a brother-in- 
law to William and Abe Kemper, was 
occasionally drilling a company of Union 
volunteers. Union men were numerous 
in and around Bethel, and we might add 
that this is the only township in Shelby 
county that has given a Republican 
majority since the war period. Griffin 

Frost, a brother to the late 

Frost, who edited the Clarence Courier, 
and who died only recently and was 
buried in Edina, Mo., was at this time 
editing the Shelby County Weekly and 
was told by the Unionists that his room 



was preferable to his companj". He took 
the hint and abandoned the office, going 
to Marion county. 

THE FIEST FEDERAL TROOPS. 

The date on which the first federal 
troops actually set foot on Shelby county 
soil was Jime 13, 1861. The 2d Iowa 
Infantry, under command of Col. Samuel 
Curtis, came down the Mississippi river 
from Keokuk, Iowa, and landed at Han- 
nibal. There they took the Hannibal & 
St. Joe railroad for St. Joe. At Hunne- 
well some citizens were fired upon by 
these troops and two persons were taken 
prisoners. No one was injured, however, 
and the troops passed on to St. Joseph. 
A number of Shelby county Union men 
went to St. Joseph at this time to enlist 
in the service. About this time there 
was an attempt made to organize a bat- 
talion of cavalry, with W. R. Strachan 
as major, and a company was organized 
at Shelbina by Captain Hughes. By this 
time the Shelby countians who had gone 
to St. Joseph had enlisted in the Old 
Missouri 13th Infantry (afterwards the 
25th). They were captured a little later 
at Lexington, Mo., while serving under 
Mulligan. 

The war cloud had now risen to its 
zenith in the sky, and sentiment was 
intense. 

The Monroe City fight happened July 
10th of this year, and about the same 
time a detachment of the 16th Illinois 
came out from Macon City to William 
Baker's place and cut down the secession 
flag-pole that had been raised there. The 
neighborhood was badly scared, but be- 
yond cutting the pole down the troops 
were not disposed to make any military 



72 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



demonstrations. These troops camped 
on Salt river at the old Ray's bridge 
west of Cherry Box. 

riBST UNION COMPANY OEGANIZED. 

A Union meeting was held at Miller's 
mill, six miles east of Shelbyville, in 
Tiger Fork township, the latter part of 
July, 1861. The orators of the occasion 
were John M. Glover, of Lewis county, 
and John L. Taylor, of Knox. There 
were a large number of Union men 
present, but very few who sympathized 
with the Confederate cause. Hon. John 
McAfee, speaker of the house, however, 
attended, and was severely criticized and 
censured by Glover in the latter's speech 
for his (McAfee's) course in the legis- 
lature. After the speaking, McAfee and 
Glover engaged in a controversy, and 
McAfee called Glover a liar. Quick as 
a flash the Lewis countian assaulted the 
speaker. Quite an exciting time fol- 
lowed, but neither of the combatants was 
severely injured. 

At this meeting the Shelby County 
Home Guards were organized, with 
Joseph H. Forman as captain; Robert 
Eaton and Solomon Miller, lieutenants ; 
Oliver Whitney, first orderly sergeant; 
George Lear, second orderly. This was 
an independent company and served as 
infanti'y. 

This company possibly had existed 
irregularly since some time in May, but 
did not enter the United States service 
formally until July 2.3d. It was mus- 
tered in at Shelbina on the above day 
by United States Marshal William R. 
Strachan. This company was authorized 
by Gen. G. A. Hurlbut and continued 
under his jurisdiction until August 23d, 
at which time it was disbanded. 



Guarding the railroad and the govern- 
ment's goods at Hannibal and doing a 
little scouting and camp duty were the 
services rendered the government by this 
company. The men were armed with 
muskets sent them from Hannibal, and 
upon being mustered out a majority 
enlisted in other regiments. 

SALT RIVER BRIDGE BURNED. 

The Missouri State Guards, a com- 
pany of secession troops from Ralls 
county, under Capt. Daniel B. West, 
under direction of Dr. Foster, of Hanni- 
bal, set fire to and bui-ned the Salt River 
railroad bridge on July 10, 1861. The 
bridge was located two miles west of 
Hunnewell. The troops were assisted 
by some of the residents of the neighbor- 
hood, who furnished turpentine to hasten 
the burning. Five cars were burned at 
Hannibal the same day, and Foster or- 
dered the depot burned, but was per- 
suaded to countermand the order by 
citizens of the town. 

At the time the bridge was burned the 
fight was on at Monroe City, and the 
federals were greatly hindered in the 
transportation of supplies and troops. 
The bridge was soon rebuilt by Hurl- 
but 's troops. The sti'ucture was made 
only temporary for a time. Some Illi- 
nois troops soon after constructed a 
block-house near the bridge, and a strong 
guard was kept for some time. Brig.- 
Gen. John Pope was assigned by the 
federal authorities to the North ^Missouri 
command. He made headquarters part 
of the time at Hunnewell and Shelbina. 
Brigadier-General Hurlbut was also an 
active federal officer along the Hanni- 
bal & St. Joe railroad, and spent some 
of his time in Shelby county. 



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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



73 



JOIN GREEN S COMPANY. 

In July of 1861 quite a number of 
Shelbj' county boys who had decided to 
enlist and die if need be for the cause 
they believed to be just, left the county 
and joined the Confederate ranks. They 
enlisted under Col. Martin E. Green, who 
was then at Sugar Camp ford, on the 
Fabius, near Monticello, in Lewis county. 

Colonel Green soon left Lewis county 
and concentrated his forces, about 1,000 
men, near Marshall's mill, about six 
miles northwest of Palmyra. 

AMiile located here. Green sent a com- 
pany into this county to arrest some 
L'nion men at Shelbyville. The company 
was commanded by J. L. Owen, of 
Marion county. They remained in 
Shelbyville an hour or so and then re- 
turned to camp, being unable to find 
their men. 

A few days later, Frisbie McCul- 
lough, commanding a company of Con- 
federates, called at the residence of 
Capt. Joseph Freeman, just east of 
Shelby^'ille, and took the captain and a 
hired man named Gwinn prisoners. 

At another time McCullough visited 
Shelbyville and took Col. John F. Ben- 
jamin prisoner. The latter was held for 
some time and was well guarded all the 
time. He was taken into Knox and 
Lewis counties. Green also made a trip 
to Bethel at one time, but here he did 
not disturb anybody more than to levy 
small contributions in the way of 
supplies. 

In September, Mr. Green broke camp 
at Marshall's mill and went south to 
join General Price's army. He crossed 
the Hannibal & St. Joseph railroad near 
^lonroe City and passed across Monroe 



county, going through Florida and Paris. 

The next noteworthy movement of 
trooi)s in Shelby county took place in 
September, when General Hurlbut, com- 
manding 500 troops of the 3d Iowa. Col. 
David Moore's Northeast Missouri Regi- 
ment, and Colonel Smith, of the 16th 
Illinois, united their forces at Bethel to 
attack Green, whom they supposed to 
be at Philadelphia, in Marion county. 
With their 1,200 men, of whom 400 were 
mounted, and their four pieces of field 
artillery, and 150 Knox and Adair 
County Home Guards, they began their 
march on Green, but on arriving at Phil- 
adelphia they learned of his movement 
to the south. 

Hurlbut now sent Moore and Smith 
with their men on to Palmyra, and with 
the 3d Iowa and about 120 sick men he 
started to Shelbina. He reached Shelby- 
ville at near noon, and remained for din- 
ner, after which the march to Shelbina 
continued. 

Three of the Union soldiers set out on 
foot, without leave, to go from Shelby- 
ville to Shelbina, while the main portion 
of the army was vi.siting at the county 
seat. They had covered about half the 
distance, and were walking down the 
direct road between the two cities, when 
they were fired upon by Confederate 
sympathizers who had concealed them- 
selves behind some large oak trees about 
half a mile north of the Salt river 
crossing. One of the men was killed 
instantly, another wounded, and the 
third escaped unharmed. He was found 
a mile or so east of the scene and was 
taken by J. C. Hale on horseback to the 
command, which they met on the high 
prairie about two miles out of Shelby- 
ville. The dead comrade was taken by 



74 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



the company to Slielbina and buried. The 
two that survived were severely cen- 
sured by their commander for leaving 
the company without permission. 

The parties that did the shooting were, 
it is said, nine in number, and among 
that nmnber were Eay Moss, John 
Jacobs, Bert Hightower, John Evans 
and a Mr. Freeman. They had their 
horses tied near by, and intended, no 
doubt, to tire upon the whole company 
as they passed by; but the three strag- 
glers drew their fire before the full com- 
pany got there. They made their escape 
on horseback. Moss afterwards became 
a captain in the Missouri State Guards 
under General Price. He served six 
months in this capacity and was then 
mustered out and immediately re-enlisted 
in the regular Confederate army. On 
October 4, 1862, he was killed at Corinth, 
Miss., having his head torn off by a 
grape shot. Jacobs also enlisted in the 
regular Confederate service and became 
a captain. He became famous as a 
fighter. After the war he settled at 
Louisiana and died in about 1880. 

At seven o'clock that evening Hurlbut 
reached Shelbina, but could not wire for 
transportation on account of a fierce 
wind and hail storm. He therefore went 
into camp. The next day the company 
received transportation and left about 
noon for Brookfield. 

During this time Moore and Smith 
had remained at Palmyra, but on the 
4th of September set out after Green. 
They, however, left 400 men behind to 
guard the city, who on the 6th, under 
the command of General Pope and ac- 
com]ianied by Col. John M. Glover and 
about fifty men of his cavalry, which 



was organized in northeast Missouri, set 
out for the main army of the Federals. 

GREEN TAKES SHELBINA. 

General Pope, who was now located 
at Brookfield, had three companies of 
the 3d Iowa Infantry under Col. N. G. 
Williams, and a company of the Linn 
County Home Guards from Brookfield, 
to Palmyra, to open the road and then 
to go to Paris, Monroe county, to take 
possession of the specie and funds in the 
bank there, fearing the Confederates 
would get hold of it. On August 31st 
they left Brookfield, and arrived at Pal- 
myra the day following. Here they 
found they had to go to Hannibal in 
order that their engine might be turned 
around. "^JNTiile at Hannibal they were 
joined by the 2d Kansas Eegiment, 
which had fought at "Wilson's creek and 
had come up from St. Louis on a boat 
on their way home to be mustered out. 

The Kansas boys gladly joined the 
men under Colonel Williams and set out 
with them for Paris. Colonel Williams 
had a few more than 600 men, which in- 
cluded the Linn County ^Mounted Home 
Guards under Loring and a large por- 
tion of the 3d Iowa under Lieutenant- 
Colonel Scott. Sunday, September 1st, 
the Federals arrived in Shelbina and 
that evening set out for Paris. They 
arrived there Monday morning, after an 
all-night march. The fimds had been 
removed by the cashier of the bank, and 
could not be obtained. So on the fol- 
lowing morning the troops started to 
return to Shelbina. Colonel Green, who 
was then at Florida, had mustered his 
forces and determined to take the Fed- 
erals. AVilliams and his men reached 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



75 



Shelbina by hard and tiresome marching 
and by considerable dodging and shift- 
ing from one direction to another in 
order to avoid Green. They arrived in 
Shelbina after dark and soon learned 
that General Hnrlbnt had left the town 
that day for Brookfield. The Union men 
realized they were in a close place, with 
only 620 men, and Green close on their 
heels with something like 1,500 Vnen. On 
Wednesday, Septemlier 4th, it conld be 
seen that Green had them surrounded 
and wo^ild soon accomplish his aim. so 
the Federals barricaded the streets and 
concluded to put up the best defense pos- 
sible and to make their get-away as soon 
as an opportunity presented itself. They 
were relived, however, about 11 o'clock 
by a train arriving from Brooktield. It 
was sent by General Hurlbut to take the 
company back to Brooktield. Wednesday 
at noon Colonel Green sent Colonel Wil- 
liams a note which gave the Federals 
thirty minutes to remove the women and 
children and to surrender. The order 
was obeyed as far as removing the 
women and children was requested, but 
no further. The note was not even an- 
swered. Green had obtained a good po- 
sition just southeast of the town and out 
of range of the Federal musket and 
opened tire with his two pieces of artil- 
lery, which belonged to Captain Kneis- 
ley's Palmyra battery. One was a six 
and the other a nine pounder. Nearly 
every shot was well pointed and fell 
somewhere near the center of the town 
near the depot square. Here it was that 
Captain McClure, of the Second Kansas, 
lost a foot. Two balls went through the 
old hotel building and the marksmanship 
was so accurate that only two balls went 
astrav. They were found out north of 



town next day. Green's men were out 
of musket range and, of course, the Fed- 
erals could not fight back, unless they 
could get in closer range. This they did 
not want, so the Kansas troops took the 
train. The whole company then boarded 
the train, except the Linn County 
Mounted Home Guards. They got out of 
town by proceeding under cover of train 
— keeping the train between them and 
the artillery until they were a mile or so 
west of town. The Confederates then 
advanced and took the town. Their tro- 
phies of war were some knapsacks, four 
mules and a wagon and some gims. The 
Confederates now numbered fully 2,500 
men. They had been reinforced by some 
Marion, Ralls and Monroe county guards 
under Col. Theodore Brace. The report 
of the battle by Colonel Williams fol- 
lows: 

REPORT OF COL. N. G. WILLIAMS, THIRD IOWA 
INFANTRY. 

In obedience to your order, I respect- 
fully submit the following statement of 
facts connected with the Paris expedi- 
tion and the reasons why I retired from 
Shelbina : 

Late Friday evening (August 30th), I 
received a telegraphic dispatch from 
General Pope to take my effective com- 
mand, together with Loring's cavalry, 
proceed to Palmyra, open the road, and 
then go to Paris and take the specie and 
funds in the bank and send it to St. 
Louis. Early Saturday morning I 
started from Brookfield to execute the 
order. I arrived in Palmyra about noon, 
was there informed by the railroad em- 
l^loyees that we would have to go to 
Hannibal in order to turn the engine 
west, they telling me it would be impos- 



76 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



sible to back the train. As a further rea- 
son for going to Hannibal there was 
$150,000 specie on board and from in- 
structions I feared it would be in some 
danger of being seized by the rebels. I 
arrived in Hannibal and while feeding 
my men the 2nd Kansas regiment ar- 
rived per boat, enroute for Kansas to 
recruit. I immediately invited them to 
join me in the Paris expedition, as I had 
learned on my down trip that it would 
be unsafe with my force (320 men) to go 
into Monroe county. They consented, 
and we started Sunday morning. Ar- 
rived at Shelbina about noon. I jDressed 
into service some wagons to carry 
provisions and sick men, and started 
for Paris about 8 o'clock in the evening. 
My entire force consisted of about 620 
men, viz: 520 infantry and 100 cavalry. 
I arrived in Paris at daylight Monday 
morning, September 2nd. I immediately 
proceeded to the bank in company with 
M. Cassel, Esq. (agent to receive money). 
We called the directors together. They 
informed us that the cashier had taken 
the money to a safe place, and that they 
did not know where he or the money was. 
"We waited during the day, thinking that 
they would get the money. In the after- 
noon I learned that the whole country 
was rising in arms against us. About 5 
o'clock I gave the order to prepare for 
our return march, but a termendous 
storm coming up I countermanded the 
order and resolved to stay in Paris over 
night. I quartered my men in the Court 
house and vacant buildings. About mid- 
night we received an alarm and turned 
out under arms and remained so during 
the night. Started on our return at day- 
break. 

In the meantime I had learned that 



Green and his forces had got past Gen- 
eral Hurlbut and that he had prepared 
an ambush for me on the straight road to 
Shelbina. I determined to take the road 
to Clinton, making a detour of ten miles. 
Every step of the way I found evidence 
that the whole people were in arms. I 
arrived, however, in Shelbina at night, 
having escaped the ambush, Init had one 
man wounded (sujiposedly mortal) by 
the enemy's pickets. "When I arrived in 
Shelbina I found no communication east 
or west, also learned that General Hurl- 
but had left that day for Brookfield. 
During the night had two alarms. In 
the morning and after the enemy had 
shown himself in force, a train arrived 
from the west and brought word that an- 
other train was coming to take my com- 
mand away. In the meantime the enerdy 
was gathering in still greater force, so 
that I could make out about 3,000 men. 

About noon I received a note from the 
rebel commander, giving me thirty min- 
utes to move the women and children and 
to surrender. I ordered the women to 
leave but made no reply to Green. I bar- 
ricaded the streets and prepared to re- 
sist the enemy. After a short time the 
enemy opened on us with two pieces of 
artillery, one nine and one six pounder 
(reported to me to be brass by an es- 
caped prisoner). Their battery was 
planted a full mile off. I am satisfied 
that at this time the enemy numbered 
fully 3,000. With my glass I could dis- 
cover a strong force under cover of tim- 
ber to support their artillery. I offered 
to lead the men out on the plain and of- 
fer the enemy battle. Major Cloud, of 
the Second Kansas, objected. I did not 
insist, as I thought the opposing force 
too great. 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



77 



During the firing I discovered tlie ene- 
my some two miles in the west tearing up 
tlie track. I immediately ordered one 
company on the train to run up to them, 
which was done, and the enemy driven 
from that point. I observed also a force 
in the east tearing up the track and 
started a train that way, but the train 
came back, as the enemy opened iipon it 
with their artillerj'. The officer in com- 
mand reported to me that he supposed 
the engine and train of more value than 
a little piece of track. I told him he did 
right. 

The enemy fired well. Almost every 
shot was well pointed, either striking the 
building or falling in the square. Cap- 
tain McClure, of the Second Kansas, had 
his foot shot off. After receiving some 
thirty shots, the officers of the Second 
Kansas held a meeting, and sent Major 
Cloud to me, demanding that I should 
withdraw the men, saying that tliey had 
been in one Springfield fight and did not 
wish to be in another (meaning fighting 
against such odds), and also that if I 
would withdraw and get artillery they 
would come back with me. He further 
stated that his men were discontented 
and supposed they were going home and 
did not like being brought on the expedi- 
tion; that he, to encourage them, had 
held out the inducement to them that the 
money in the bank was to pay them off 
with; that they only considered them- 
selves in the light of volunteers, etc. I 
still further resisted, and declared I 
would not mention the subject of retreat- 
ing to my men, as I had been to them and 
told them we could hold the place; 
but finally they insisted so strongly, and 
fearing there might be a stampede, I 
consented to call the officers together. 



When they met, I said to them I had 
nothing further to say. After they had 
decided it to be expedient to retire I told 
them to wait oi'ders. I delayed giving 
orders any further than to tell them to 
go to their companies and prepare to 
move. After a few minutes I saw the 
Kansas men starting for the cars. They 
filled the first ti'ain and started. I 
jumped on the engine and ordered the 
engineer to move slow, so that the cav- 
alry could keep up with him on the right 
flank (the enemy was on the south). I 
then jumped off and started back for my 
own men (280), but they, seeing the Kan- 
sas men off, had got on the second train 
and started before I got back. In the 
confusion the Iowa men left some of 
their coats and knapsacks in the quar- 
ters. They did not know at the time we 
were retiring from the enemy. There 
was also one transijortation wagon and 
four mules left, all of which might have 
l)een brought off had they waited for 
orders. 

It is proper for me to state that I had 
l)ut one captain with me at the time and 
he had been quite sick for several days, 
and was unfit for duty at the time, but 
he turned out and rendered me valuable 
assistance. I was extremely short for 
officers. I had sent three home sick. I 
then moved the trains to Hudson and re- 
ported to you in person. Very respect- 
fully, your obedient servant, 

N. G. Williams, 
Colonel Third Iowa. 

Brig.-Gen. G. A. Hurlbut, U. S. A. 

WHAT THE KANSAS OFFICERS SAID. 

In their report of the Shelbina affair 
to Brig.-Gen. S. A. Hurlbut, Lieut.-Col. 
Charles W. Blair and Major W. F. Cloud 



rs 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



said: "It is perhaps proper for me to 
state foiTually to you a fact or two rela- 
tive to the evacuation of Shelbina on yes- 
terday. The enemy numbered, as near 
as we could ascertain, about 3,000 men, 
and we had only 600 efficient men. We 
drove them several times and held our 
position until the enemy bi-ought to bear 
upon us two pieces of artillery, one six 
and one nine pounder. AVe having no ar- 
tillery and not being able to reach them 
otherwise, but being compelled to sit be- 
hind barricades and receive discharges 
of artillery, which would inevitably have 
destroyed the command, I, after consul- 
tation with Major Cloud and the ofBcers 
of the Second Kansas, insisted upon the 
men being withdrawn until we could be 
reinforced by artillery, which we under- 
stood was at Brookfield. Colonel Wil- 
liams was averse to the withdrawal, Ijut 
we insisted that it should be done and he 
tinally yielded a reluctant and unwilling 
assent; and as we had volunteered to 
serve in the Paris expedition, he was in 
courtesy compelled to pay some atten- 
tion to our wishes in the matter and con- 
sequently he at last yielded." 

SECOND BUKNING OF SALT RIVER BRmOE. 

After the departure of the Federal 
troops Colonel Green took posession of 
Shelliina and his men remained there 
several hours. Late that evening the 
Confederates burned the railroad bridge 
across Salt river. They also visited Hun- 
newell and caused some slight damage 
about the depot. 

Colonel Blanton, of Monroe county, was 
in command of the company that Green 
sent around west of town to tear up the 
railroad track, and which was made to 
retreat by the company sent out on the 



train by Colonel Williams. Colonel Blan- 
ton received a shot in the mouth ; another 
man in his company lost his horse. 

Green abandoned Shelbina that night, 
but a few men returned and burned some 
freight cars that stood on the side track. 

Hunnewell was now made the base of 
what was expected to be important mili- 
tary movements. And the people of the 
county saw something of the real pomp 
of war. A brigadier-general and his 
staff took charge of affairs and directed 
matters from this town. Then Briga- 
dier-General Pope was sent here to move 
on Green and to totally annihilate the 
latter, who was then stationed at Flor- 
ida, in Monroe county. But General 
Fremont withheld his orders for Pope 
to move on Green until the latter had 
crossed the Missouri river at Glasgow 
and was on his way to join Price at Lex- 
ington. Captain Forman and the other 
Shelby countians who had formerly been 
taken prisoners, were released near Mar- 
shall, after being duly paroled not to 
take up arms until they were exchanged. 

Brigadier-General Pope left Hunne- 
well on September 8 and pushed forward 
to where Green had been near Florida. 
Here he found only a few of the rear 
guard and a portion of their outfit, which 
were captured. Only two shots were 
fired and only one man wounded. The 
cavalry set out to locate Green, but re- 
turned later and announced that the 
Confederates must be over fifty miles 
away. General Pope returned to Hunne- 
well. 

SHELBY COX:XTY CONFEDERATE TROOPS. 

Following the success of the Confeder- 
ates at Blue Run July 21, and Wilson 
creek August 10, the secessionists be- 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



79 



came active and many set out to join the 
Confederate army. Some went to join 
the General Price Home Guards in south- 
western Missouri, others went to Colonel 
Green in Lewis county. There was 
no regular company organized in the 
county, but those who had the war fever 
left the county either singly or in squads 
and joined themselves to the Confeder- 
ate army, either with Colonel Green or 
General Price. A small company was or- 
ganized near Huunewell, however, about 
the first of August, which was not a reg- 
ular organization. They were never mus- 
tered into service and were composed of 
men from the three counties of Marion, 
Monroe and Shelby. The company was 
commanded by Capt. Thomas Stacy, who 
lived on a farm near Hunnewell, in Shel- 
by county. 

August 8th, Stacy's company made a 
raid on Palmyra, which was then unoc- 
cupied and secured some provisions, 
arms and took two citizens prisoners. 
August 16th the company fired on a train 
near Hunnewell. The Sixteenth Illinois 
were on the train and two of the Union 
men were bady wounded. 

MOVEMENT OF UNION FORCES. 

About the first of August, Captain 
Forman received orders fi'om General 
HurHmt to take his comjiany of Shelby 
County Home Guards and search certain 
houses in Shelbyville for military stores. 
Ten members of the Sixteenth Illinois, 
who were stationed at Shelbina, volun- 
teered to go with Captain Forman. 

They reached Shelbyville early in the 
morning and searched the store of J. B. 
Marmaduke, but found no military 
stores. They, however, arrested the vil- 



lage gunsmith, Fred Boettcher, whom 
they charged with repairing guns for 
some Confederates. Boettcher was taken 
from Shelbyville to Slielbina and then 
sent to St. Louis. The Forman Home 
Guards while in Shelbyville also cut 
down the secession flag pole. 

As stated previously, Hon. John Mc- 
Afee was an extreme Southern sympa- 
thizer and ag-itator. He was accused of 
being one of the three men in north Mis- 
souri who did more than a thousand oth- 
ers to bring about hostilities. The other 
two were Senator James S. Green, of 
Lewis county, and Thomas L. Anderson, 
of Palmyra. It is also notable, how- 
ever, that when the cannon began to 
belch forth their deadly missiles of war, 
these three men remained at home. The 
story is told on Mr. McAfee that at one 
time during the progress of the hostili- 
ties that General Hurlbut offered Mc- 
Afee a complete outfit, including horse, 
saddle and bridle and safe conduct out 
of his lines, if he would enlist in Green's 
army. McAfee had been arrested by the 
Sixteenth Illinois on August 6th. The 
company came from Macon over to Shel- 
byville and after placing Mr. McAfee un- 
der arrest took him to Macon and kept 
him a prisoner for some time. 

He was treated severely by the Fed- 
erals because of his pronounced South- 
ern tendencies, and because he had been 
so prominent and active in secession 
matters. It is said General Hurlbut 
caused him to do hard labor in the ex- 
treme August sunshine, such as digging 
privies for the soldiers. After keeping 
him in Macon for a time, he was sent to 
Palmyra, and General Hurlbut ordered 
him tied upon the cab of the engine to 



k 



80 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



keep the Confederates from firing upon 
the train. The order, however, was not 
executed. The engineer refused to run 
the train if the soldiers executed the 
order. 

GENEEAI, GRANT IN SHELBY. 

It was now a settled fact that Missouri 
soil would be stained with the blood of 
man by the cruel hand of war, and the 
Federal government deemed it of the 
greatest importance to keep the Hanni- 
bal & St. Joseph railroad intact. The 
road was needed to transport troops and 
provisions and munitions of war over, 
also in the transmission of messages it 
was of the utmost benefit. It was there- 
fore of very great importance that the 
road should be carefully guarded. To 
accomplish this the government plainly 
realized they must send more men to the 
county. Accordingly Gen. U. S. Grant, 
commanding the Twenty-first Illinois In- 
fantry, and Col. John M. Palmer, com- 
manding the Fourteenth Illinois, were 
sent to relieve Colonel Smith at Monroe 
City. In about a week they were sent on 
to Hunnewell and to the Salt river 
bridge, which had been burned only a 
short time before and which they were 
to guard during the reconstruction 
thereof. It thus appears that Gen. 
Ulysses S. Grant, later one of the great- 
est captains in the Union army and after- 
ward twice President of the United 
States, began his illustrious military 
careei- in Shelby county. While located 
at Salt river bridge. General Grant 
erected a block house, which stood to his 
memory until a few years ago. He was 
ordered to proceed agaist Tom Harris, 
who was conducting a recruiting station 



at Florida. On his arrival there he 
found that Harris and his recruits had 
scattered. General Grant turned around 
and marched back to his post at Salt 
river. In relation to the Grant stay in 
Shelby county, Edgar AVhite, of Macon, 
recently contributed an article to some 
eastern papers. We use it here by per- 
mission : 

Shelbina, Mo. — "Say, do you know I 
lost the opportunity of a lifetime?" 
queried a frosty-haired citizen of this 
town to a group of the oldest inhabitants 
sitting on the benches in the railroad 
park. "I might have had chairs and ta- 
bles and ])ipes and things worth hun- 
dreds — yes, thousands of dollars, by now. 
AVhen the bushwhackers began raising 
Hades up and down the old Hannibal & 
St. Joe until nobody wanted to travel, 
the government sent a rather short, stout 
man up here to look after things. He 
only had a handful of men, and was so 
quiet and easy going that nobody 
thought he amounted to shucks. We 
never took much stock in him till we be- 
gan to notice that he wouldn't let his 
soldiers rob our hen houses and take our 
horses. If any of the men took anything 
all we had to do was to make a roar to 
that quiet, stolid looking fellow and he'd 
say a few short words to somebody and 
we'd get it back with an apology. That 
quiet fellow, who generally wore a cigar 
in his mouth, was a St. Louis woodseller, 
Col. U. S. Grant by name." 

"What's that got to do with gilding 
your furniture?" asked one of the 0. I. 
fraternity. 

"Oh, I forgot; when we found he was 
a pretty decent sort of a Yankee, and 
wasn't out hei'e to raid us, my wife told 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



81 



me to invite him over to supper one 
night. And he'd a come, too, if I had 
asked him. Wish I had now. 

"Let me tell you," the narrator went 
on, "that man Grant soon had more 
friends in these parts than anybody. Of 
course, we were all for the Johnnie Rebs, 
but we respected the square fellows on 
the other side. Grant knew which way 
our feelings were, and he never talked 
politics or got into any controversies. 
He and his men protected the raih'oad at 
the big bridge and made the bushwhack- 
ers afraid to light there. That's all the 
duty he had then. Lots of our people 
went out to his camp on the river and be- 
came acquainted with him. He talked 
to them about fishing and hunting and 
woodcraft and the thousand and one 
homely little occupations that lie nearest 
the countrjTnan's life. But I noticed 
that he would a good deal rather listen 
than talk. He seemed to be gifted that 
way, and he would remember everything 
you told him that was worth remember- 
ing. 

"On each side of us were Union com- 
manders who at that time were talked 
about considerably as being fierce and 
warlike. One was in charge of a large 
force at Palmyra and the other in charge 
of the Department of Northern Missouri 
at Macon. Sometime during the war 
each of these commanders ordered mili- 
tary executions of ten men in their re- 
spective jurisdictions. I'll bet under the 
same circumstances Grant wouldn't have 
done anything like that. Here within the 
length of sixty miles three men were 
making history in their own peculiar 
way, two of them by a rigorous enforce- 
ment of the military law and the other 
by a quiet, unostentatious attention to 



duty. Of the three the quiet man is the 
only one whose name ever got into the 
histories. 

"When Colonel Grant first came to 
these parts most of the Southern men 
hiked out. Grant heard of that and he 
sent couriers out after them, telling them 
to come back home and extending a cor- 
dial invitation to come to his camp and 
get acquainted. Those who accepted the 
invitation were astonished at the plain 
soldier's hospitality and evident good 
will. He talked to them in his easy, bus- 
iness like way, explained the difference 
between a soldier and a marauder and 
said that when his men required feed for 
their horses or provisions for themselves 
orders would be issued and the govern- 
ment would pay for the supplies. He 
said the fact that we were Southern sym- 
pathizers wouldn't make any difference 
with him so long as we didn't come at 
him with guns. We all thought it was a 
pity that such a man should be a Yankee, 
and a citizen asked him one day how he 
could fight to free the 'niggers,' being in 
all other respects so much of a gentle- 
man. I never heard Colonel Grant's an- 
swer, but several people about here did, 
and they quote him this way : 

" 'This war is not to free the niggers; 
if I thought it was I'd take my men and 
join the South.' 

"You may be sure that didn't lessen 
his popularity any in this neck o' the 
woods. We considered Colonel Grant a 
pretty good 'rebel' from that time on, 
and looked with confidence to his lining 
up alongside of Bob Lee before the war 
was over. Well, he did line up alongside 
of Lee, but not the way we had hoped he 
would. 

"It was while Colonel Grant was mak- 



82 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ing his headquarters hereabouts that he 
was ordered to hunt up and attack 
Colonel Tom Harris and his Confederate 
soldiers, who were becoming somewhat 
audacious. Harris was then much bet- 
ter known than Grant. He had been en- 
gaged in a nmnber of lively skirmishes 
and was said to be a hard and swift 
fighter. Grant knew all this, and I no- 
tice in reading some sketches about him 
since the war that he was just a liit un- 
easy about the outcome of the expected 
encoimter. Nevertheless, he led his men 
bravely enough in the direction of Har- 
ris's camp. The Union force halted be- 
fore ascending the hill, while muskets 
and ammunition were examined, bayo- 
nets fixed and prayers said by the devout 
ones. Then the order came to march. 
The big hill was surmounted, revealing 
a naked plain and a hastily abandoned 
camp. Harris and his warriors skedad- 
dled. 

"'I'll admit I was suffering from 
stage fright when we went up that hill,' 
said Colonel Grant, 'but it never oc- 
curred to me till then that Harris might 
be bothered with the same disease.' 

"That gave rise to Grant's oft-re- 
peated expression that 'When going into 
battle I try to remember that the enemy 
might be as much afraid of me as I am 
of him.' 

"After Colonel Grant left here I read 
of many mean things said about him by 
his enemies, but I din't take much stock 
in 'em. He never said mean things 
al)out other loeople, and that kind of a 
man don't need any defending." 

Shelby county, then, has the distinc- 
tion of being the field in which General 
Grant began his military career, which 



was the stepping stone to the Presidency. 

General Grant in after years wrote a 
letter concerning his stay in Shelby 
county, of which the following is a copy : 

Long Branch, N. J., August 3, 1884. — 
Dear Sir — In July, 1861, I was ordered 
with my regiment, the Twenty-first Illi- 
nois Infantry, to North Missouri to re- 
lieve Colonel Smith, of the Sixteenth, 
who was reported surrounded on the 
Hannibal & St. Joe railroad. On my ar- 
rival at Quincy I found that the regiment 
( ?) had scattered and fled. I then went 
with my regiment to the junction of the 
road from (^)uincy with the one from 
Hannibal, where I remained for a few 
days, until relieved by Colonel Turchin 
with another Illinois regiment. From 
here I was ordered to guard the work- 
men engaged in rebuilding the Salt river 
bridge. Colonel Palmer was there with 
his regiment at the same time. "When 
the work was near completion I was or- 
dered to move against Thomas Harris, 
who was reported to have a regiment or 
battalion encamped near Florida, Mo. T 
marched there, some twenty-five miles 
from Salt river, but found on arrival 
that he had disbanded about the time I 
started. On my return I was ordered to 
Mexico, Mo., by rail. Very truly yours, 

"U. S.' GR.4NT. 

SECESSIOX OF MISSOURI. 

This important event in the history of 
Missouri occurred on the 28th day of Oc- 
tober, 1861. The session of the legisla- 
ture, known as "Claib Jackson's legisla- 
ture," was held in a hall in Neosha, com- 
mencing Octolier 26th, and on the 28th 
an ordinance of secession was passed by 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



83 



both houses. There were in this famous 
assembly of Missouri statesmen at the 
time of secession only thirty-nine mem- 
bers of the house and ten members of the 
senate. Charles H. Hardin was a mem- 
ber of the senate and was the only mem- 
ber of that body to vote "no." He was 
afterward governor of the state. Kepre- 
sentative Shambaugh, of DeKalb county, 
was the only one of the thirty-nine mem- 
bers of the house to vote " no. " Accord- 
ing to the constitution of the state a 
quorum was required to transact busi- 
ness. This would have necessitated the 
attendance of seventeen members of the 
house. The ordinance passed by the 
Jackson legislature was, however, ap- 
proved by the Confederate congress at 
Richmond, Virginia, and Missouri was 
considered by those who sympathized 
with the South as annexed to the South- 
ern Confederacy. 

Shelby county troops were from this 
time on considered Confederates, and 
of these the county had jjerhaps about 
300 in the field. They were mostly with 
Green and Price. The Third battalion of 
infantry, under Green, was commanded 
by Lieut.-Col. S. A. Rawlings, of Shelby 
county, and Capt. Oliver Sparks com- 
manded Company A. 



COUNTY COURT MEETING CHANGES IN 

COUNTY OFFICIALS. 

The county court of Shelby coimty had 
not held a session from October, 1861, 
until in May, 1862, at which time the 
court was called together by public no- 
tice. Of the three county judges who 
had been elected only one attended 
(Judge Daniel Taylor). The other two, 
James Pickett and Perry B. Moore, were 
turned out of office charged with being 
disloyal. The governor appointed in 
their places Samuel Houston and Robert 
Lair. John Dickerson had also been 
elected sheriff, and upon refusing to take 
the "Gamble Oath" was suspended, and 
E. L. Holliday appointed Elizar sheriff. 
Mr. Holliday served until October, at 
which time J. H. Forman was appointed 
by the governor, and in November he 
was elected to the office by a unanimous 
vote. J. J. Foster was also suspended 
as justice of the peace in Salt River town- 
ship and Daniel H. Givens in Jackson 
township shared a similar fate. H. H. 
Weatherby was appointed in Foster's 
place and James Jameson in the place of 
Givens. The assessor's office was also 
made vacant on account of M. J. Priest 
being declared disloyal. Leonard Dobyns 
was appointed to fill the vacancy. 



CHAPTER Vn. 

Missouri State Militia Organize — Bushwhacking in the County — The Bush- 
whacking Near Walkersville — Stockade Built Around Court House — "Spe- 
cial Order No. 30" — Several Changes in Positions — John L. Owen Killed 
— Shelby County Men Executed — The 1862 Election. 



MISSOURI STATE MILITIA ORGANIZE. 

The war department of the govern- 
ment gave Governor Gamble authority 
sometime in December, 1861, to organize 
the Missouri state militia, which was for 
the defense of the state and not to be or- 
dered out of the state unless on the mis- 
sion of defending the state. 

Those who joined this organization 
were to be paid by the United States 
government, subsisted, transported, 
clothed and armed. They were to assist 
and co-operate with the Federal troops 
whenever and wherever they possibly 
eould. 

Two months later, or in February, 
1862, Col. H. S. Lipscomb commenced 
the organization of a company of cav- 
alry. It was designated as the Eleventh 
Cavalry, Missouri State Militia. The 
organization was completed in May fol- 
lowing. The regiment was officered as 
follows : H. S. Lipscomb, colonel ; A. L. 
Gilstrap, lieutenant-colonel ; John B. 
Rogers, J. B. Dodson and John F. Ben- 
jamin, majors. The regiment existed 
until September, or four months, then it 
was consolidated with the Second Mis- 
souri State Militia. John McNeil was 
colonel of the new organization and John 



F. Benjamin was made lieutenant- 
colonel. 

The Eleventh Cavalry, Missouri State 
Militia, was made up mostly of Shelby 
county men. The officers of the Eleventh 
were: John F. Benjamin, captain from 
February 10, 1862, until June 3, 1862. 
At that date James M. Collier was made 
captain, Mr. Benjamin having, on May 
6th, been promoted to a major. Mr. Col- 
lier resigned on August 6th, and on Au- 
gust 18th, A. G. Priest was made cap- 
tain. W. J. Holliday was the first lieu- 
tenant and John Donahue second lieuten- 
ant. Later Company I, Second Cavaliy, 
Missouri State Militia, was organized. 
A. G. Priest was made captain of this 
regiment, in which capacity he served 
for nearly a year, from August 13, 1862, 
until July 28, 1863, at which date he re- 
signed. Alex R. Graham took his place 
and was commissioned captain August 
11, 1863, and resigned November 3rd of 
the same year, serving in this capacity 
for only about three months. He was 
succeeded by James A. Ewing, who took 
rank from November 25, 1863, and was 
later commissioned captain Company B, 
Seventeenth Missouri Cavalry Volun- 
teers. W. J. Holliday was first lieutenant 
of the regiment from F,l)ruary 10, 1862, 



84 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



85 



until June 13, 1863, at which time he re- 
sigTiecl. His successor was James A. 
Ewing, who took rank from August 11, 
1863, and who, on the 25th of November 
following, was promoted to captain. Rob- 
ert C. Cavert then became first lieuten- 
ant and served in that capacity until 
mustered out at the close of term, on 
February 25, 1865. John Donahue was 
commissioned second lieutenant at the 
organization of the regiment and served 
from February 10, 1862, until October 7, 
1863, at which time he resigned. The 
commissary sergeant was John S. Dun- 
can, whose younger son, Charles B. Dun- 
can, was bugler of the company. When 
the regiments were consolidated Com- 
i:)any H was mustered out. The officers 
of this company while it existed were J. 
"W. Lampkin, captain; Cyrus S. Brown 
and John C. Carothers, lieutenants. 
These companies did little except scout- 
ing throughout Shelby and adjoining 
counties. They were in the Porter raid 
and were considered quite efficient in 
their services generally. 
/ 

BUSHWHACKING IN THE COUNTY. 

In relation to bushwhacking in the 
county the history of 1884 has the follow- 
ing to say : 

"Upon the first blush of spring in the 
year of 1862, military operations in 
northeast Missouri began to assume a 
more sanguinary character. The Con- 
federate bushwhackers were early on the 
warpath. Near Colony, in Knox county, 
about the 25th of March, thej'^ waylaid 
se'^'en or eight meml^ers of the state mili- 
tia from Medina, fired upon and killed 
two and dangerously wounded two more. 
As another party of militia were return- 
ing from the burial of the two men killed 



they were fired on, presumably by the 
same bushwhackers, and three more were 
killed. Sometime about the lOtli of 
March, James M. Preston, a Union man, 
living near Monroe City, was taken from 
his home one night by Capt. Tom Stacy 
and his band of Confederate partisan 
rangers, or bushwhackers, and mur- 
dered. The killing was done in Shelby 
county, near Stacy's camp, or headquar- 
ters, on Black creek or North river. 
Stacy afterward said that Preston had 
been "carrying water on both shoul- 
ders' ' ; that he pretended to be a Confed- 
erate when in the presence of the bush- 
whackers and that when Federal troops 
came along he was a stanch Unionist and 
informed on certain Southern men and 
had them arrested. Stacy tried Preston 
after a fashion, found him guilty of play- 
ing the spy on him and his band, and 
shot him forthwith. The body was never 
recovered. It was said to have been 
sunk in Salt river with large stones tied 
to it. Preston left a wife and family in 
distressed circumstances. His murder 
aroused the greatest indignation among 
the Unionists, who vowed that, as the 
Confederates had inaugurated that sort 
of warfare, they should have their fill of 
it before the war was over. Tom Stacy's 
band numbered at this time perhaps 
twenty members, but its strength varied 
from a dozen to fifty. It kept Shelby 
county in quite a furor at times and 
greatly disturbed the western jiart of 
Marion on various occasions. "When any 
of the members wanted a horse, a gun, a 
blanket, or any other article, they did not 
hesitate to take it wherever they found it 
— no matter whether its owner was a Un- 
ionist or a Confederate s\Tnpathizer. All 
was fish that came to their net. 



86 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



THE BUSHWHACKING NEAR WALiKEESVILLE. 

On Wednesday, April 2, of this year 
(1862), Col. H. S. Lipscomb, of the Elev- 
enth M. S. M., and a Captain AVilmont, 
with an escort of thirteen men of the 
same regiment in charge of a wagon load 
of supplies, started from Shelbina to 
Shelliyville. Taking the road via Walk- 
ersville, on Salt river, about a mile be- 
low that little hamlet, Tom Stacy, with 
sixteen of his band, bushwhacked the 
party, killing two militia men named 
Long and Thomas Herbst and a promi- 
nent and worthy citizen of the county 
named Lilburn Hale. The latter gentle- 
man lived three miles southeast of Shel- 
by\nlle. That morning he had gone to 
Shelbina to mail a letter to his son, J. C. 
Hale, then in Pike county, and now 
prominent attorney of Shelbyville. Re- 
turning on horseback he was overtaken 
by the military a quarter of a mile from 
the scene of shooting and was riding 
along with Colonel Lipscomb when the 
murderous volley was fired. Long and 
Herbst were residents of this county also 
and both left families. All the men were 
shot in the head. It was wondered at 
that not at least a dozen men were killed. 
The firing was done at point blank range. 
In a short time Colonel Lipscomb and 
some of the others of the escoi-t came 
galloping into Shelbyville and gave the 
alarm. There was the greatest indigna- 
tion among the militiamen and the Union 
citizens. Mr. Hale was generally re- 
spected, and his murder incensed the 
people as much as the killing of the sol- 
diers. The troops in town consisted of 
the Eleventh M. S. M., who sprang at 
once to arms. Lieut. John Donahue, at 
the head of twenty-five men of Company 
A, started immediately in pursuit of the 



bushwhackers, who, it was conjectured, 
had set off immediately after the shoot- 
ing for their rendezvous, in the south- 
eastern part of the county. 

Lieutenant Holliday, with a consider- 
able force, went at once to where the 
shooting was done. Holliday 's squad, 
under Sergeant Engles, started on the 
direct trail of Stacy and his men. The 
trail was easily followed, as the ground 
was very muddy, but Stacy tried to 
throw otf the force which he knew was on 
his track by riding into and through the 
current of the river where he could. But 
Engles and his men kept on the trail, 
eager as panthers and true as l)lood- 
hounds. About the middle of the after- 
noon Lieutenant Donahue came upon the 
bushwhackers at a point on Black creek, 
at the Kincheloe bridge, ten miles from 
AValkersville. They were north or north- 
east and the Federals were going east. 
The former had just crossed the bridge. 
With a yell the militiamen dashed upon 
the bushwhackers and the latter fled, 
scattering in every direction, some tak- 
ing to the thickets, others swimming 
Black creek, which was near by, and still 
others fleeing straight away. The bush- 
whackers were completely routed. Two 
of their number were killed outright, one 
was drowned in Black creek and another 
was ])adly wounded and never was heard 
from again. Tom Stacy was so hard 
])ressed that he was forced to abandon 
his horse, saddle bags, coat, hat, sword 
and double barreled shotgun. Some ar- 
ticles in his possession, particularly the 
sword, a beaver cap and some trappings, 
were identified as having belonged to 
Russell W. Moss, Esq., near whose resi- 
dence, northwest of Himnewell, in the 
Black creek timber, Stacy and his band 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



87 



had their camp. The two dead men were 
found to be William Carnahan and 
James Bradley, both citizens of this 
county. Bill Carnahan lived at Walkers- 
ville and left a wife and children. It is 
said he had eaten many a meal at Mr. 
Hale's table, and knew that gentleman 
well. Bradley lived in the northwestern 
part of this county. The killing was in 
this wise: Jim Bradley, like Absalom, 
rode upon a mule. In the rush of the 
retreat he was either thrown or jumped 
off "and the mule that was under him 
went away." Bradley then threw away 
his fine double-barreled shotgun and 
started to run. Sergeant John S. Dun- 
can (afterwards postmaster at Shelby- 
ville) was upon him in an instant. 
Bradley stopped, threw up his hands 
and called out, "Don't shoot; I give 
up; I haven't done nothing," etc., all 
very rapidlj' and excitedly. Duncan 
said, "Well, I can't shoot an unarmed 
man," and lowered his gun. But 
Bradley started to go back for his 
gun and Duncan said, "Don't run." 
And just then Private Tom Hillaber, 
who lived in the northeastern part of the 
county, came up and without a word lev- 
eled his Austrian rifle and fired, the ball 
striking Bradley (ten feet away) in the 
breast, killing him instantly. The body 
was not bayoneted, as has been reported. 
Bill Carnahan was shot out of his sad- 
dle farther down the creek. The man 
drowned in Black creek was wounded 
just as he entered the water. Tom Stacy 
leaped from his horse and took to a tree. 
He carried with him a short rifle and an 
Indian fight took place between him and 
Lieutenant Donahue. The latter fired 
twice and missed. Tom saved his fire for 
close quarters. Private James Watkins 



reinforced Donahue and then Stacy re- 
treated, saving his life by his fleetness 
and knowledge of woodcraft. The mili- 
tiamen beat up the woods and brush for 
some time, but failed to find any more of 
the guerrillas, and soon after gathered 
up the corpses of the men they killed, 
put them in the wagon, "pressed" for 
the occasion, and started for Shelbyville. 
Not a man among the Federals were in- 
jured in the least. Indeed, the bush- 
whackers fired but two or three shots. 
Meanwhile a tragic scene was being 
enacted at Shelbyville. There was 
the most intense indignation in the 
town over the killing of Long, Herbst 
and Mr. Hale. Capt. John S. Ben- 
jamin was almost beside himself 
with rage and excitement. He had a 
room of Confederate prisoners in the 
sheriff's office upstairs in the court 
house. The most of these, if not all of 
them, had not been regularly enlisted 
and mustered into the Confederate ser- 
vice as regular soldiers, but were more 
partisan rangers. Benjamin declared 
he would shoot three of these men in- 
stanter in retaliation for the three Un- 
ionists killed that day. Among these 
prisoners was one Roland Harvy (alias 
"Jones" or "Maj." Jones), of Clark 
county. A few days before this he had 
been captured near Elliottsville, on Salt 
river, in Monroe county, by a scouting 
party of the Eleventh M. S. M., led by 
Benjamin himself. Harvy was a lieu- 
tenant of a band of Confederate parti- 
sans, of which Marion Marmaduke, of 
this county, was captain. Captain Ben- 
jamin selected Harvy as the first victim. 
He was an elderly man and, it is be- 
lieved, was a reputable citizen. But now 
he was given a hard fate and a short 



88 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



shrift. It is said that the guard opened 
the door of the prison room and pulled 
out Harvy as a fancier thrusts his hand 
into a ooop and pulls out a chicken. He 
was hurried downstairs, taken out into 
the stockade, southeast corner of the 
yard, and tied to one of the palisades 
with a new rope before he realized what 
was being done. He seemed to think the 
proceedings were intended merely to 
frighten him. In two minutes a tile of 
soldiers was before him and he was look- 
ing into the muzzles of six Austrian 
rifles. The command "Fire!" was given, 
there was a crash of the guns, and in 
an instant the unfortunate man was a 
corpse. He could not fall to the ground, 
for he was lashed to the palisade, but his 
limbs gave way and his head dropped on 
his breast, while his body hung lim]) and 
twisted. By Benjamin's order the body 
was taken down by some Confederate 
sjTupathizers and carried into an old log 
building in the rear of J. B. Marma- 
duke's store, on the southwest corner of 
the square. Here it was prepared for 
burial and interred by the same class of 
citizens in the Shelbyville cemetery, 
where its ashes yet lie. Another pris- 
oner captured at the same time with 
Harvy was John AVesley Sigler, a young 
man of Shelbyville. He had a close call. 
Benjamin selected him for the next vic- 
tim from among the now terror-stricken 
prisoners huddled together in the sher- 
iff's office ; but now more rational minded 
men inter))oscd and better councils pre- 
vailed. It was urged that it would be 
better to wait and see what the result of 
Donahue's and Holliday's scout would 
be — maybe they would exterminate the 
band that had done the murderous work. 
"Wait and see. This was done, and soon 



came Donahue bearing in a wagon the 
corpses of Carnahan and Bradley, and 
these were tumbled into the room where 
Harvy lay, all ghastly and gory. Then 
Benjamin's wrath was mollified and no 
one else was shot. 

STOCKADE BUILT ABOUND COUBT HOUSE. 

Company C, under Captain Block, and 
Company F, commanded by Captain 
Call, parts of Glover's regiment, were 
stationed at Shelbyville during the win- 
ter of 1861 and '62. They were quar- 
tered in the court house. Around the 
court house was erected a strong stock- 
ade, by direction of Capt. John F. Ben- 
jamin. The stockade was built of heavy 
oak posts, set firmly in the ground, hav- 
ing the top ends sharpened. The posts 
were about fifteen feet high. Small holes 
were made for the use of the defenders, 
and imder the conditions a small num- 
ber of men could have withstood the at- 
tack of several times their number. Many 
Union sympathizers enlisted during the 
winter. 

Glover was now stationed at Edina. 
He vigorously enforced the Halleck- 
Schofield orders to extend no mercy to 
bushwhackers, and sent his troop fre- 
quently into Shelby and adjoining coun- 
ties. 

"special order no. 30." 

A few days after Colonel Glover 
reached Edina he sent a message to Cap- 
tain Benjamin at Shelbyville which was 
headed "Special Order No. 30." The 
order read as follows: "In everj^ case 
within your reach where the rebels take 
a dollar's worth of property of any kind 
from a Union man or family, do you take 
at least twice as much in value from 
rebels in the vicinity ( f i-oni ]iarties who 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



89 



I 



took the goods if you can identify them) 
and hold it as security for the return of 
the property, and hold it until the rob- 
bery is made good. You will forthwith 
levy an assessment and collect it from 
the wealthy secessionists in the vicinity 
sufficient to comfortably support the 
families of the members of the M. S. M. 
who were killed by the rebels, and see 
that they are comfortably supported by 
this means imtil further orders." 

After two days' time had elapsed after 
receiving the famous ' ' Special Order No. 
30," Captain Benjamin received a list of 
sixty-five names of men in different parts 
of the county and a letter that read as 
follows: 

Edina, April 10, 1862. 
Captain Benjamin: 

Sir — I send you a list of names 
marked (A), who did the killing of mili- 
tia in this (Knox) county. The others 
are members of a bushwhacking com- 
pany in this and other counties. Give a 
list of the names to your commissioned 
officers with instructions to hold all such 
if arrested. Keep their names as secret 
as i^ossible. I do not want them to know 
they are suspected, or we shall not be 
able to catch them. You have two of 
them, I am told (the Feltz). Hold them 
safely. We have five or six of them, and 
on yesterday we killed one of the mur- 
derers, William Musgrove. These men 
are scattered all over the country. You 
will be as active as possible and charge 
your men to be cautious. These men are 
frequently to be found in the vicinity of 
Magruder's, on Black creek. These fel- 
lows are in the habit of crossing Salt 
river, southeast of your town, on a 
bridge on an unfrequented road. You 
will do well to give it some attention. My 



instructions are not to bring in these fel- 
lows if they can be induced to run, and 
if the men are instructed they can make 
them run. Yours respectfully, 

J. M. Glover. 

SEVERAL, CHANGES IN POSITIONS. 

In June of 1862 there were several 
changes ordered among the Union forces 
in northeast Missouri. On the 4th of 
June Colonel Glover was sent to south 
Missouri and Col. John McNeil, Second 
Cavalry, M. S. M., was given charge of 
the northeast Missouri troops, with 
headquarters at Palmyra. Major John 
F. Benjamin was appointed commander 
at Palmyra and M. A. Stearnes was as- 
sistant adjutant-general. The changes 
were made in compliance with an order 
from General Schofield. Nearly all of 
McNeil's men followed him to Palmyra. 
Captain Lipscomb was assigned to Ma- 
con City and the Third M. S. M. was sent 
to Eolla. 

JOHN L. OWEN KILLED. 

Major Owen lived near Monroe City, 
and had been a major in the Confederate 
Missouri State Guards under General 
Price. He had participated in the Mon- 
roe City battle, in which the Confeder- 
ates burned the depot and destroyed con- 
siderable property. He returned home 
from service in December, 1861, but 
found an indictment hanging over him 
for treason and consequently could not 
come in and surrender. He therefore 
continued to hide out. 

On the 8th of June, 1862, a scouting 
]iarty of the Eleventh M. S. M., under 
Ca]itain Lair, found Major Owen early 
in the morning hiding under some brush 
near his residence. Captain Collier and 



90 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



the Shelby county company took him 
23risoner, and after assuring his wife 
they would conduct him safely to Pal- 
myra, they started off, and when onh' 
half a mile from his home they sat him 
upon a log against a rail fence and fired 
eight 54-caliber bullets through his body. 
The two captains (Collier and Lair) jus- 
tified themselves on the ground that they 
were enfoi"cing General Schofield's "Or- 
der No. 18," which enjoined the utmost 
vigilance in hunting down and destroy- 
ing all marauders and bushwhackers, 
whom the order said "when caught in 
arms or engaged in unlawful warfare, 
were to be shot down on the spot." The 
action of Lair and Collier was approved 
by the Unionists generally, but was a fire 
brand among the Southern sympathizers, 
and, in fact, many Union men denounced 
the act as a murder. The Federal su- 
perior officers, however, approved the 
act. Some now say that Owen was un- 
armed and did not come within the pur- 
view of Schofield's order. Others say he 
was armed and that his blanket and re- 
volver were found close l)e.side him. It 
is, howevei', too late in the day to argue 
the ease, and after giving the facts as 
nearly correct as it is possible to gather 
them, we leave the matter to the readers 
for their own solution. 

SHELBY COUNTY MEN EXECXTTED. 

Gen. Lewis Merrill, who was in charge 
of the Federal troops at Macon, on Se])- 
tember 26, 1862, executed ten ])risoners 
at Macon. These men had all been with 
Porter and were accused of violating 
paroles. Two of these men were Shelby 
county citizens. Tliey were Frank E. 
Drake and Edward Riggs. Another 
Shelby county citizen was sentenced to 



be shot at the same time, but he made his 
escape from the prison. His name was 
James Gentry, who lived for many years 
in Shelby after the bloody scenes of the 
war and who died in Shelbyville only a 
few j'ears ago. 

Capt. Tom Sidener, who lived in Mon- 
roe county a few miles south of Shel- 
bina, had been with General Porter, but 
after the Kirksville battle, in which Por- 
ter suffered severely, and the disband- 
ment of the Porter company, Sidener de- 
cided to quit the service and accordingly 
returned to his home in Monroe county. 
He feared, however, to remain there and 
decided, as did many others of the Por- 
ter men, to seek refuge in Illinois. He 
therefore disguised himself in ladies' ap- 
parel and, in company of a lady cousin 
and a sister and his brother, Jackson, set 
out in an open carriage to drive to Can- 
ton, where they intended to cross the 
Mississipi)i into Illinois. They passed 
through Shelbyville October 1, 1862, and 
one of Benjamin's men recognized the 
ladies and Jack Sidener and informed 
Benjamin that they had passed through 
the town with a load of provisions, wiiieh 
were thought to he for supplies for Tom 
and the Confederates. Colonel Benja- 
min ordered pursuit and the carriage 
and its occupants were soon brought 
back to Shelbyville. Captain Sidener 
was careless in getting out of the car- 
riage and gave himself away by disclos- 
ing his boots that he wore instead of 
lady's shoes. lie was stripped of his 
dress and lionnet and placed in the hands 
of the Benjamin forces. They kept him 
a few days at the hotel and then he was 
sent to Palmyra and was one of the ten 
men executed at the famous "Palmyra 
massacre," by General McNeil. The re- 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



91 



maining occupants of the spring wagon 
were held for a few days and then re- 
leased. The executions were, of course, 
the most hlood-stirring events of the 
war; but next perhaps to these was the 
burning of dwelling houses. Of these 
latter depredations Shelby county had 
three of more than ordinary notice. One 
was the burning of the Robert Joiner 
house and barn in Tiger Fork township ; 
the other, the home of Carter Baker and 
John Maupin's home in Jefferson town- 
ship. The Joiner home was tired by a 
detail under Lieut. "\V. J. Holliday, who 
was sent out to do the work by McNeil 
and Merrill. They accused Joiner of 
"keeping a rendezvous for guerrillas 
and murderers." Lieutenant Holliday 
executed the order at noon September 
5th. Mr. Joiner was in prison at Shelby- 
ville. His three sons were in the Confed- 
erate army, as was also one son-in-law, 
Harry Latimer, who was later captured 
and executed. Mr. Cochrane, a son-in- 
law, was the only man on the place, and 
his wife was seriously ill and was carried 
out of the house on a cot, whereon she 
was lying. The family lived with their 
neighbors for awhile, but soon after Mr. 
Joiner returned to his home, having 
been released. His health had been im- 
paired and his spirits broken and he died 
the next spring. 

The home of Carter Baker, who had 
been with Porter, was burned by Com- 
pany I, commanded by Capt. A. G. 
Priest, who was sent to Jefferson town- 
ship to burn, as the militia termed them, 
' ' bushwhackers ' nests. ' ' Mr. Baker had 
been with Porter and was at home, 
wounded. He was in bed at the time of 



the burning of his house and was carried 
out into the yard on a couch. 

THE 18G2 ELECTION. 

During the war courts were held regu- 
larly from this time on, and elections 
held under the authority of the Gfamble 
administration. No one was allowed to 
vote, however, who would not submit 
to the Gamble oath : ' ' To support the 
United States government and the Gam- 
ble provisional government against all 
enemies, domestic and foreign." This, 
of course, disqualified many voters in the 
county. Johu B. Clark, Sr., had been ex- 
pelled from Congress for participating 
in the rebellion. The candidates to suc- 
ceed him were W. A. Hall, of Randolph 
county, and N. P. Green, of Marion. The 
pei'manent oi', in fact, the only issue, was 
emancipation in Missouri. 

Green represented the emancipation 
side and Hall the anti-emancipationists. 
The former carried the county by a vote 
of 598 to 279. For state senator A. L. 
Gilstrap, the emancipationists, carried 
the county over Fred Rowland by a vote 
of 523 to 199. W. R. Strachan was 
elected representative over J. M. Collier 
by 482 to 248. Samuel Huston elected 
county judge without ojiposition. He re- 
ceived 359 votes. C. K. Cotton, treas- 
urer over Benjamin Grogg by 363 to 242. 
The entire emancipation ticket was 
elected. Hall, while failing to carry 
Shelby county, was elected to Congress 
by a good majority in the district. W. R. 
Strachan was provost marshal of north- 
east Missouri, and attained notoriety in 
connection with the Palmvra massacre. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



Many Join Porter's Command — Federals Hold the County — Bill Anderson 
Visits Shelby — Fifty-one Killed at Centralia, Missouri — The 1864 Election. 



many join porter's command. 

Col. Joseph C. Porter, whose home 
was in Lewis county, near Newark, was 
about the only Confederate leader now 
engaged in northeast Missouri. Porter 
had seen considerable service, having 
been a lieutenant colonel of Green's Mis- 
souri State Guards, and had participated 
in the battles at Athens, Shelbina, Lex- 
ington, Pea Eidge and elsewhere. He 
was a brave soldier and man of courage, 
and did not deserve the term of guer- 
rilla as ajiplied to him by many of the 
Federalists. In the spring of 1862 he 
was sent to northeast Missouri by Gen- 
eral Pice for recruits and succeeded in 
enlisting hundreds from Shelby county. 

Capt. Tom Stacy joined Porter and 
accompanied him on his trip through 
northeast Missouri. He was mortally 
wounded in the battle of Pierce's Mill, 
near Memphis, on July 18th. He was 
shot through the bowels and died several 
days after the battle. His family lived 
in Shelby county at this time. 

About this time, or perhaps a little 
later, a com]iany of eighty men was 
raised in the western part of the county, 
near Hager's Grove, by Capt. J. Q. A. 
Clements, who started out to do actual 
service for the Confederacy. The com- 
pany was raised in less than twenty-four 
hours and set out to join Porter. They 



rendezvoused at Snowder's bridge, which 
was then known as Snowder's ford, and 
crossed the railroad bridge east of Clar- 
ence and joined Porter at Paris. A large 
number of Shelby countians also joined 
the Confederate troops by enlisting 
under Captain Head, a Monroe county 
man. 

Porter once more touched Shelby 
county soil in crossing from Paris to 
New Market with a thousand men. He 
passed between Monroe City and Hunne- 
well, and was receiving recruits by the 
hundreds. Capt. J. Q. A. Clements was 
killed in battle at Newark, which took 
place July 31, 1862. He was shot through 
the brain and died instantly. After his 
death Capt. Samuel S. Patton took com- 
mand of the company from the western 
])art of the county, which was now with 
Porter. Lieut. Tom "West, of the same 
company, also had his leg crushed by a 
rainie ball in the same battle and died a 
few days later, after having had his leg 
amputated. In this same battle two 
Shelby county men were also killed 
who were with Captain Head's Monroe 
county company. The two killed were 
Anderson Tobin, who lived in the south- 
west part of the county and who was 
shot through the head, and a Mr. Kester- 
son, who lived near AValkersville. He 
was shot through the body. 



92 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



93 



Leaving Porter now, we find that 
Colonel McNeil had left Palmyra and 
moved his men to Hunuewell in order 
that he might watch Porter and inter- 
cept him when he should attempt to cross 
the railroad at his old crossing near that 
town. After reaching this point, McNeil 
heard of Porter's moves in Monroe 
conntj' and set out for Paris, having 
heard that Porter had occupied that 
towm. On reaching Paris, however, he 
found his man had departed and, going- 
north, had crossed the road which he had 
intended to guard. McNeil hastened 
back to Hunnewell. The colonel felt 
rather humiliated and set out to run 
Captain Porter down or kill his horses 
and men in the attempt. McNeil pur- 
sued northward, crossing Shelby county. 
At Bethel he was reinforced by Col. 
John F. Benjamin with a detachment of 
the 11th M. S. M., who left a small garri- 
son to defend the town. McNeil was 
also strengthened by the addition of 
Mayne's Company B of the 3d Iowa Cav- 
alry, Leonard's and Garth's companies 
of the 9th M. S. M. and Merrill's Horse 
and two brass pieces of artillery of 
Robb's 3d Lidiana Battery, sent up from 
Jefferson City under Colonel Armington. 
Porter was pursued to Kirksville, where 
perhaps was fought the most memorable 
battle of north Missouri. Porter arrived 
in the city on August 6th with the Fed- 
erals close upon his heels. The result 
of this battle is known to all. Porter 
was completely routed. Among the 
Shelby county Confederates killed were 
Timothy Hayes and John Eichardson, of 
Patton's company. The battle of Kirks- 
ville took place on Wednesday, and the 
day following a number of the Confed- 
erate prisoners were tried and convicted 



of breaking their oath not to take up 
arms against the Union, and for viola- 
tions of their parols, and were sentenced 
to be shot. The order was executed and 
the following Shelby county Confederate 
prisoners were shot: James Christian, 
David Wood, Jesse Wood and Bennett 
Hayden. These four unfortunate Con- 
federates all lived in the southwest part 
of the county. Christian lived east of 
Clarence. David and Jesse Wood lived 
west of Shelbina, and Hayden lived near 
the present site of Lentner. All were 
married except David AVood. After the 
Kirksville battle Colonel McNeil moved 
over to Old Bloomington, Macon county, 
and from there to Shelbyville and then 
to his old stand at Hunnewell. Porter 
had also found his way back to Monroe 
county with some 150 men, who were 
again reported to McNeil as occupying 
Paris. The Federal commander again 
resolved to march against him, and ac- 
cordingly set out for the Monroe county 
seat with all of his available force, some 
800 men. On the day before. Majors 
Rogers and Dodson with three compa- 
nies of the 11th M. S. M. set out for 
Shelbyville to join McNeil. They re- 
inforced him on Wednesday, September 
10th, and on the same day they set out 
from Hunnewell for Paris. Porter had, 
however, again gone north and was in 
Lewis and northern Marion county, and 
on Friday, September 12th, with only 
400 men, captured Palmyra and held it 
for two hours. They canned away a 
Union citizen named Andrew Alsman, 
whom they killed and for whose life two 
of Porter's men later paid a forfeit, con- 
stituting what is known as the Palmyra 
massacre. 

The night after the capture of Pal- 



94 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



myra, Company A of the 11th M. S. M., 
stationed at Shelbyville, set out to inter- 
cept Porter. They went to the eastex-n 
part of the county. It is said that the 
two companies camped within a mile of 
each other, each being wholly uncon- 
scious of the presence of the other. After 
l^ursuing Porter's men for some days. 
Colonel McNeil with his company came 
to Bragg 's school-house, in the north- 
east part of the county, and Colonel Mc- 
Neil spent Sunday at Judge S. I. 
Bragg 's and left the next day for Pal- 
myra. Two Shelby county Confederates 
were captured near Bragg 's school- 
house by McNeil. They were John 
Holmes and Henry Latimer. They were 
taken into Bragg 's meadow and shot. 
Kemp Glasscock was also taken pris- 
oner while out hunting cows, but was 
released. John Lear, another of Por- 
ter's men, was shot near the Bragg resi- 
dence. The Federals lost two men. They 
were a man named Scanlon and Corporal 
Stephens. Both were from Knox county. 
Porter now decided to leave Shelby 
county on his way to the South. He 
captured and paroled Captain Bishop 
near Hunnewell. Colonel Porter was 
wounded at Hartville, Mo., but made his 
way into Arkansas. He died at Bates- 
ville. Ark., February 18, 1863. 

FEDERALS HOLD THE COUNTY. 

The Missouri State Militia held Shelby 
county during the year of 1863 and noth- 
ing of importance happened in the 
county during that year. Colonel Porter 
had gone south and was in Arkansas 
during the early part of the year. Porter 
and Gen. John S. ]\rarmaduke united at 
Marshfield and after the Springfield bat- 
tle retreated into Arkansas. At Hart- 



ville, in Wright county, they encountered 
a considerable force of Federal troops, 
which they defeated. The Confederate 
loss, however, was heavy. Colonel Por- 
ter was mortally wounded in this battle, 
which took place January 11, 1863. 
Colonel Porter followed the army into 
Arkansas and died at Batesville, Feb- 
ruary 18th. 

During the year of 1863 Shelby county 
was securely in the possession of the 
B^edera] authorities. The M. S. M. held 
Shelbyville and Shel])ina continuously 
and guarded the railroad bridge near 
Lakenan. They at intervals sent de- 
tachments to Clarence and Hunnewell. 

In the spring of the year. Companies 
I and L of the 2d M. S. M., composed 
of Shelby countians mostly, were sent 
to assist the Federals in southeast Mis- 
souri, where there was much more fight- 
ing than in their own counties. On April 
26th they took part in the Cape Girar- 
deau battle and assisted in repulsing an 
attack on that city made by Gen. John S. 
Marmaduke. 

At the close of the year of 1863 Shelby 
county had 504 men in the regular militia 
service of the United States. The rec- 
ords in the adjutant general's office show 
that of this number there was one Shelby 
county men in the 25th Infantry, one in 
the 26th, four in the 30th, forty-five in 
the 3d Cavalry, one in the 7tli Cavalry, 
thirty-four in the lltli Cavalry, 182 in 
the 2d Cavalry, and 236 in the llth Cav- 
alry before consideration. In regiments 
from other states there were thirty-six 
men from Shelby, and there were at least 
sixty men from Shelby who belonged to 
these regiments, whose names were un- 
reported, thus bringing the number of 
troops furnished the Union by Shelby 



HTSTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



95 



eoimtj' up to 600 at the close of the year 

1863. There were luindreds also from 
Shelby county who joined the enrolled 
militia. 

BILL ANDERSON VISITS SHELBY. 

By far the most exciting period during 
the Civil war in Shelby county was in 
1862, during Porter's and Stacy's ac- 
tivities. Indeed, war matters became 
quite dull in the county during the year 
of 1863, except Federal forage and scout- 
ing parties, who helped themselves to 
corn, horses, and relieved chicken roosts 
and many a smoke-house of a deliciously 
cured piece of ham or side meat. In 

1864, however, war affairs began to 
enliven the county again. 

Along the latter part of July, 1864, Col. 
Bill Anderson, of Centralia fame, and 
one of the most desperate fighters and 
boldest men on the southern side, paid 
Sliel))y county a visit. Many thrilling 
incidents took j^lace during the year in 
Shelby, but none so rapidly and thrilling 
as the Anderson visit. The twenty-three 
men under Anderson (called liy some the 
Confederate guerrilla) in July of 1864 
crossed the Missouri river, coming north 
at Waverlj^ in Carroll county. They 
shot several Union soldiers here and pro- 
ceeded into Eandolph county, the home 
of the chief of the company. At Hunts- 
ville over $30,000 was taken from the 
county treasury and the citizens of the 
town. After this haul they pressed east- 
ward through Moberly and entered Mon- 
roe, and, crossing this county, came to 
Shelbina. Anderson and his thirty-four 
trained riders and expert shots (he had 
added eleven men to his company) 
reached Shelbina on July 27tli early in 



the morning. They entered from the 
south by the Paris road, and were 
dressed in blue uniforms, so that the 
citizens were used to seeing the blue 
suits. The dismount was made at the 
park just south of the dejiot, and the 
first man Anderson spoke to was banker 
Taylor, who he commanded to hold his 
(Anderson's) hoi-se. Taylor accepted 
the invitation after glancing into the 
muzzle of Bill's six-shooter. Anderson's 
men set out in squads of two or three 
and took captive many of the male citi- 
zens who chanced to be upon the streets. 
These prisoners were "lined up" and 
relieved of all valuables. It is related 
by some of the old-timers that when one 
of Anderson's men called on Charley 
King, then a well-dressed young man, 
King threw them a dollar. The man 
asked if that was all he had, and on 
being assured that it was he tossed it 
back to King. No question was asked 
as to whether the victim was a Union- 
ist or Confederate, all met the same 
fate. After this they began a systematic 
]ilunder of the business part of the town. 
The stores were entered, and after 
emptying the money drawers they took 
whatever they wanted in the way of 
clothes, boots, shoes, silks, dry goods 
and jewelry. Bolts of fancy dress goods 
were taken for saddle blankets, and laces 
and riljbons were taken, with which the 
hats and clothing of the men were deco- 
rated and the manes and tails of the 
horses were elaboratelj^ festooned. 

The Anderson men, while relieving the 
citizens of their cash and the merchants 
of both cash and merchandise, did not 
harm a hair upon the head of a single 
person. Several, however, would, more 



96 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



than likely, have preferred to have lost 
all their hair and kept what they were 
relieved of. 

Those who lost heaviest were "\V. A. 
Reid, who was relieved of $550 in cash 
and over $1,000 in merchandise. He 
kicked $500 under the counter and 
covered it with rubbish and saved it. 

J. W. Ford, the city druggist, was 
loser $157 in cash and quite an amount 
of goods. The turpentine and oil used 
in the burning of the depot and cars and 
the Salt river bridge were taken from 
his store. 

There was also some tobacco in the 
cars that were burned, but the owners, 
Sparks, Hill & Co., were allowed to re- 
move it. After it had been removed the 
Anderson men helped themselves to a 
liberal supply. The stores of S. G. Lewis 
and List & Taylor were looted. 

Anderson's visit lasted only about 
four hours, but they were exciting hours 
to the citizens of the town. 

After setting fire to the depot and the 
cars on the track, the thirty-four men 
disappeared as rapidly as they entered. 
They mounted their steeds and left town, 
going east. The town was all excitement. 
Some citizens even wanted to organize 
a jiosse and pursue; others thought it 
best to let them go. The advice of the 
latter, which perhaps was the wisest, 
was accepted, and Anderson and his men 
were allowed to go on their way un- 
molested. At Lakenan the station 
building was fired, and then the bridge 
was made for and soon was in flames. 
Here the band dismounted and put out 
pickets to the east and south. They left 
as soon as they thought the destruction 
of the bridge was assured, and rode 
south. Thev took dinner with Mr. 



Saunders just south of the bridge, and 
here one of the men killed one of his 
comrades in a quarrel over a watch that 
had been taken at Shelbina. Saunders 
was forced to bury the body. 

Only one end of the bridge was burned, 
as citizens collected and put the fire out. 
"Cabe" Wood had a peculiar experience 
at this time. He received two severe 
kickings over the affair. He was at work 
trying to put out the fire before the 
Anderson men had all departed, where- 
upon one of the men kicked him off the 
grade. The next day the militia came 
up from Hannibal and one of the soldiers 
asked AVood why he did not put out the 
fire, and kicked him off the grade again 
for not extinguishing the flames. It was 
"be damned if you do and be damned if 
you don't" with Wood. 

The Hannibal militia arrived the next 
day, under Col. J. T. K. Hayward. They 
consisted of a portion of the 38th regi- 
ment enrolled militia, known as the Rail- 
road Brigade. From the bridges they 
marched to Lakenan on foot. 

A few under Meredith went out to 
John Henry Saunder's home, where 
Anderson's men had taken dinner the 
day before, and demanded Saunder's 
gun. The latter could not find it, as a 
nephew had misplaced it the day before ; 
whereupon one of the militiamen struck 
Mr. Saunders a severe blow over the 
head with the butt of his musket. The 
blow knocked him senseless. 

The bridge over Salt river and the 
depots at Shelbina and Lakenan were 
soon rebuilt. Trains ran regularly. The 
merchants at Shelbina restocked and in 
the course of time recovered from the 
shock. They, however, learned a lesson. 
That was to keep money and valuables 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



97 



out of sight as much as possible during 
war times. 

Anderson declared he would like 
mighty well to go over to Shelbyville 
and shoot up the militia, but he learned 
the town was well fortified behind a 
stockade, and more than likely it was 
well he did not go. It would not have 
been as easy picking as Shelbina, at any 
rate. After leaving Shelby, Anderson 
returned to Howard county. 

FIFTY-ONE KILLED AT CENTEALIA, MO. 

The Centralia massacre, as it has been 
called ever since the dreadful event took 
place, happened on September 27, 1864. 

The only object we have in referring 
to this event in the history of the Civil 
war is the fact that Company G, 39th 
Missouri Infantry, which was annihi- 
lated, all being killed except three, were 
nearly all from Shelby county. 

The names of these Union soldiers 
who lost their lives at Centralia, accord- 
ing to the adjutant-general's office, are 
as follows: Sergeants David N. Dunn, 
John Donahoe, William Lair, George W. 
Miller; corporals Leander P. Burt, 
James S. Gunby, AVilliam Lear, David 
Riggs, L. D. Sherwood, Jacob R. Wexler ; 
privates George "W. Adams, Charles M. 
Jenkins, Charles Bishop, William Knep- 
per, Samuel Bell, Anthony Labus, Philip 
• Christian, Louis F. Marquette, William 
Christian, Charles Master son, Oscar 
Collier, John Moore, John J. Christine, 
John C. Montgomery, Horner ]\L Dun- 
bar, William A. Ross, AVilliam Drennan, 
Robert E. Spires, Sylvester H. Dean, 
J. G. Sellers, James S. Edwards, Edward 
Strachan, Eleasor Evans, James Stal- 
cup, Robert P. Elston, William T. Smith, 
William G. Floor, Peter T. Simmernon, 



James Forsythe, James W. Trussell, 
Robert Greenfield, George W. Van Os- 
dall, W^illiam P. Golary, Jasper N. 
Vaden, Henry T. Gooch, A. M. Vandiver, 
Joseph S. Glahn, Jonathan Webdell, 
John W. Hardin, William T. Whitelock 
and Elijah Hall. 

Only three of the bodies were returned 
to the county for burial. They were the 
remains of Louis Marquette, David N. 
Dunn and William Lair, whose bodies 
were identified by James C. Hale at 
Sturgeon the following day and sent 
home for interment. Mr. Hale went to 
Sturgeon for the purpose of identifying 
the bodies and had the remains shi])ped 
home to relatives. The other unfortunate 
Union soldiers who met death at this 
time were buried in a trench by the citi- 
zens of Centralia. B. F. Dunn and other 
citizens of Shelby county made a trip 
to Centralia for the purpose of identify- 
ing others and bringing home the re- 
mains, but they were unable to recognize 
any of them and left them buried in the 
trench. 

In 1873 the remains were all taken up 
and removed to the National Cemetery 
at Jefferson City. 

It would not be proper in writing a 
history of Shelby county to pass this 
incident without a brief review of the 
manner in which these fifty-one men met 
so horrible a death and how these Shelby 
county Federal troops came to be identi- 
fied with the incident. 

The horril)le affair took place just two 
months after the raid of Bill Anderson 
upon Shelbina. Much had been the talk 
on this affair, and the Unionists of the 
county were somewhat anxious to get 
after Anderson and his noted followers. 
As usual, many feared him ; others pro- 



98 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COFXTY 



fessed to he auxious to engage liiiii in 
battle. Now was the opportunity. 

Word had been sent to the county that 
Anderson had crossed the North Mis- 
souri railroad (now the Wabash) at a 
point near Moberly. He was thought 
to be headed northeast, and the people 
began to prepare for an attack, or rather 
to defend themselves. The Confederates 
were commanded by Maj. John Thrail- 
kill and were divided into squads and 
companies. These squads or companies, 
which varied in number, were com- 
manded by George Todd, Bill Anderson, 
Dave Poole, Tom Todd and Si Gordon. 
Tom Todd was a Baptist preacher. The 
Confederates numbered about 400. 
George Todd was the man who planned 
all movements, and the daring Bill An- 
derson was relied upon to execute all 
plans. Ater crossing the North Mis- 
souri, as stated, the Confederates 
learned that Paris was strongly forti- 
fied by Union soldiers, and they there- 
fore resolved to turn south and join 
Price, who was known to be in southern 
Missouri. They therefore recrossed the 
railroad just three miles east of Cen- 
tra lia and went into camp on the farm 
of Major Singleton, in the edge of the 
timber some three miles east of Cen- 
tralia. Bill Anderson with some seventy- 
five or a hundred men was sent into 
Centralia on the morning of September 
27th by Todd to do some reconnoitering. 

It was found there was a Federal 
detachment at Sturgeon and another at 
Columbia, only sixteen miles away. Be- 
fore departing, Anderson set fire to the 
depot, burned some freight cars on the 
sidetrack, and looted a passenger train 
that was passing through. On this train 



were twenty-two Federal soldiers, chief- 
ly from the 1st Iowa Cavalry, on their 
way home after being furloughed and 
discharged. These soldiers were taken 
from the train and all executed except 
one, Sergt. Tom Goodman, who was 
spared by the express order of Ander- 
son ; why, no one knows to this day. 
An old German who chanced to be on 
the train, and who unfortunately for 
himself wore a blue blouse uniform, was 
executed alongside the unfortunate sol- 
diers. After the execution Anderson and 
his men returned to camp and re] sorted. 

The 39th Missouri, under Col. E. A. 
Kutzner, a regiment which had seen per- 
haps thirty days' service, mostly camp 
service, was stationed at Paris. They 
were armed with Enfield mu.skets and 
bayonets and were inexperienced and 
poorly mounted. 

As soon as the news reached them that 
the Confederates had crossed the rail- 
road and were headed towards them, 
Maj. A. V. E. Johnson with the detach- 
ments of Company A, G and H set out 
to meet them and engage them in battle. 
Johnson had, officers and all, about 200 
men. Company G, from Shelby county, 
was commanded by Lieuts. Thomas 
Jaynes and Isaiah Gill. The captain of 
this company, William Glover, was sick 
at his home in Shelbyville. Lieut. Thomas 
Jaynes is still living at Hunnewell, and 
is one of the three men who made the 
hairbreadth escape from Anderson's 
men. Company IT, from Lewis and 
Marion counties, was connnanded by 
Capt. Adam Theis, who died only a 
couple of years ago, and who was for 
many years and up to the time of his 
death grand treasurer of the Grand 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



99 



Lodge, Knights of Pythias, of Missouri. 
Compauy A, from Adair county, was 
commanded by Capt. James A. Smith. 
The men, as stated, were poorly armed 
and still more poorly mounted. They 
rode upon mules, mares and plow horses. 
In fact, any kind of an animal that could 
be pressed into service from the citizens 
for the occasion. Johnson was soon 
upon a warm trail and followed the Con- 
federates to where they had crossed the 
railroad the day before. Here they saw 
the smoke from the Imrning depot in 
Centralia and marched up to the town, 
of then some twenty-tive houses. Here 
they heard the story of what Bill Ander- 
son had done, which set their blood to 
boiling. Johnson reached Centralia 
about three o'clock in the afternoon of 
Se]itember 27th, and after listening to 
the story of Anderson's raid that morn- 
ing, in company with Dr. A. G. Sneed, a 
citizen of Centralia, repaired to the loft 
or garret of the town hotel to gain as 
good a view as possible of the Con- 
federates under Todd, Anderson and 
others. They had not been long in the 
garret until they saw a squad of Ander- 
son's men galloping pell mell toward the 
city. Johnson, followed by Sneed, has- 
tened down to inform his men and to 
prepare to withstand the attack of the 
Confederates. He informed his men of 
what he had beheld with his own eyes. 
He also warned them of the peril in 
front of them and told them of the des- 
]ierate foe they were about to encounter ; 
but his men wore eager to measure steel 
with Anderson, and, after detaching 
Captain Theis with his comj^any of 
thirty-six Marion and Lewis county sol- 
diers to guard the town, he mounted and 



led his 110 men to the front, or, as it 
might be said, into the very jaws of 
death. 

The Confederates did not come into 
Centralia, as was expected, but wheeled 
about and dashed across the prairie in 
full view of the Federals returning to 
their cover, crossing a fallow field to the 
southeast, on the farm of one by the 
name of Captain Fullenwider. The Con- 
federates had laid a trap for Johnson, 
and he with his 110 men were soon 
within the jaws of the trap. Johnson 
mounted and gave his men orders to 
follow. He rode south into the field and 
then turned to the east to face the enemy. 
Here he stood with 110 men between the 
setting sun and 400 of the bravest and 
most skilled marksmen of the time. Here 
he halted, dismounted and detailed every 
fourth man to hold horses. The remain- 
der advanced on foot until within some- 
thing like thirty rods of Anderson's 
men, who had retired to the edge of the 
woods. Behind Anderson's company 
were Poole's men, and behind the fallow 
cornfield was a ravine densely filled with 
underbrush. Johnson could not see the 
position of the enemy. Thrailkill occu- 
pied a position on the north with Gordon 
and Tom Todd ; on the south was George 
Todd, in the center was Bill Anderson, 
and to his rear was Poole. Johnson 
could see only Anderson and Poole. 
After the Federals has dismounted and 
marched down the slope of the field 
toward their foes, Johnson, who re- 
mained mounted, halted his men and 
advanced alone some twenty yards. Here 
he halted and for a few moments sat 
motionless upon his steed. The trap had 
been set, the prey had entered, and all 



100 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



that was left now to be done was to 
spring the trigger. As planned when 
George Todd had arranged his men, he 
lifted his hat to Anderson, which was 
the signal to charge the enemy. No 
sooner was Todd's hat in the air than 
Anderson led his men up the hill before 
the enemy. The dash which carried 
death to so many Federals was made 
with one foot in the stirrup and the body 
swinging to the side of the horse. The 
Confederates were going up a hill, so 
the volley fired by Johnson's men passed 
over them without a single shot taking 
effect. Not so, however, with Anderson's 
shots. His men were the best-trained 
pistol-shots in America, and perhai)s in 
the world, and as they dashed toward the 
enemy a Federal fell at nearly every 
crack of the pistol, until not a one re- 
mained of those who had left their horses 
and marclied with Johnson toward the 
timber. Following Anderson up the hill 
came Todd, Thrailkill, Gordon and 
Poole. In a moment — in less time than 
it takes to relate the story — the sad 
event in the field of battle had closed. 
Johnson had led his men into the trap 
over the protests and advice of the citi- 
zens of Centralia, and every man, ex- 
cepting three, who had followed him out 
of Centralia lay dead or dying upon the 
, withered September grass of Boone 
county. Major Johnson fired three shots 
from his revolver and fell dead from his 
horse, being shot through the head. Cap- 
tain Smith, of the Adair county com- 
pany, was killed, and the only three to 
escape were Lieutenants Jaynes, Gill 
and Moore, who were mounted. Ander- 
son and Poole went on for the fourth 
men detailed to hold the horses, and had 



soon annihilated the entire number. 
They still kept on and swept into Cen- 
tralia, where thej^ completed the mission 
of destruction by completely routing the 
men who were left by Captain Theis to 
guard the town. Those who remained in 
Theis 's company set out for Sturgeon, 
but fifteen lost their lives in trying to 
escape. 

It is said Johnson left Paris with 147 
men, of whom but 23 escaped. Com- 
pany A from Adair county, lost 56 men ; 
Company G, from Shelliy, 51 ; and Com- 
pany H, 15. The remains of Colonel 
Johnson were sent to Marion county and 
buried near his home. 

Frank James was with Anderson in 
the Centralia massacre, as it is termed, 
and told the writer the story as written 
above as near as we can remember. The 
figures and names of the Federals, of 
course, were obtained from the adjutant- 
general 's office. 

THE 1864 ELECTION. 

Abraham Lincoln carried Shelby county 
for president in 1864 by 150 majority 
over MeClellan. The vote was Lincoln 
366, MeClellan 216. At this election 
John F. Benjamin, of Shelbina, was 
elected to congress on the Eepublican 
ticket. He was the first man ever elected 
to congress from the countj% and was re- 
elected at two successive elections, serv- 
ing three terms. He served in congress 
from 1865 to 1871. The honor of fur- 
nishing a congressman was not again 
conferred ujjon Shelby county until 1896, 
twenty-five years later, when Richard P. 
Giles was elected, but died before he 
was inducted into office. Mr. Giles was 
a great favorite in the countv, which 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



101 



stood by him loyally in three successive 
campaigns for the nomination, and there 
was universal grief and sadness over his 
untimely death just as he realized the 
ambition of his life. As a successor to 
this distinguished son of Shelby county, 



James T. Lloyd, the present incumbent, 
was selected by the Democi'ats and was 
re-elected by a large majority. A fuller 
account of the lives and incidents to the 
election of each will appear later, in the 
political history of the county. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Ousting the Officers — Mukdees and Homicides — Murder of George Queaby — 
"The Dale-Phelps Tragedy" — Bruce Green Kills Calvin Warren — A 
Negro Murder Case — The Eobber Johnson — The Great Benjamin "Will 
Case — The Will — Indicting Eebel Preachers — Registration of Voters — 
News From Headquarters — The War Is Over — The Drake Constitution — 
After the War — Robbery of the County Treasury — Politics and Election 
of 1870 — Registration in 1870 — Census of 1880 — Flood of 1876. 



ousting the officers. 

The convention on March 17, 1865, 
passed an ordinance vacating the offices 
of the judges of the Supreme court and 
of all the Circuit courts and all the 
county offices. It was to take effect 
May 1st, and was never submitted to the 
people. It gave the governor power to 
fill all these offices by appointment. 
The terms of many of the officers who 
had been elected by the people had not 
expired; notably, the supreme judges, 
who had been elected for a term of six 
years, and some of whom had served 
only eighteen months. The reason as- 
signed for the removal was that only 
loyal men should be in office. They found 
no little trouble in store when it came to 
enforcing the ordinance. The American 
people have always l)een quick to resent 
any interference by a legislative body 
with the judiciary, especially so when it 
partakes of partisan politics, and the 
"ousting business" was no exception to 
the rule ; but his excellency Governor 
Fletcher proceeded to fill the offices the 
ordinance vacated and to place therein 
some of his political friends. 

In this county the appointments were: 
W. J. HoUidav. countv dork, vice T. 0. 



Eskridge, removed ; John S. Duncan, cir- 
cuit clerk, vice W. L. Cliipley, removed; 
James Bell, treasurer, vice C. K. Cotton, 
removed. County Court Justice Samuel 
Huston gave way to Lewis F. Carothers. 
The other officials remained. 

In this judicial circuit John I. Camp- 
bell was appointed judge in the room of 
Hon. Gilchrist Poi'ter. 

All the new appointees were radical 
Republicans. Office-holding in those days 
was a biased affair, and a Democrat 
need not aspire to any such pinnacle, and 
Shelby county submitted to the inevi- 
table; but some of the supreme judges 
in St. Louis were not so easily passed 
out. Judges Bay and Dryden claimed 
the law was not vested with the proper 
authority, was unconstitutional, and 
they refused to vacate. Governor 
Fletcher ordered the police to arrest 
them and eject them from the court. It 
was done and they were taken before a 
criminal court of St. Louis and fined for 
disturbing the peace. 

murders and homicides. 

But four homicides occurred in this 
county during its early history, and, 
comparatively sjieakiiig, it has been a 



102 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



103 



county free of ti'agedies. It has ever 
been a home-loving-, law-abiding people. 

MURDER OF GEORGE QUEARY. 

September i, 1873, George Queary, a 
colored barber, was shot and killed by 
George Ashby, colored. The shot dis- 
emboweled the victim. He relocated the 
dismembered organs and held them in 
place with one hand, clinging to the lamp 
post with the other, until shortly he fell 
to the pavement and was carried home 
and died that night. The trial brought 
out the evidence that they had quarreled 
a couple of hours previously. Queary 
had gotten the better of Ashby, who left 
him, vowing vengeance. It also came 
out that Queary had a "self-protector" 
and had called to the ci'owd to "get out 
of the way" before Ashby fired. In his 
trial at Shelbyville, May, 1875, Ashby 
was found guilty of murder in the second 
degree and sentenced to twenty years in 
the penitentiary. He was defended by 
Jewett & Hale, able lawyers assigned 
him by the court. 

THE DALE-PHELPS TRAGEDY. 

On the night of the 1st of May, 1875, 
there was a most desperate affray in 
Clarence, resulting in the death of one 
man and the serious wounding of two 
others. 

John and Jonah Phelps, brothers, were 
two young men who lived on a farm six 
miles south of Clarence, whither they 
had moved from Roanoke, Howard 
county. Their cousin, James Phelps, 
lived on a farm adjoining town. 

In Mr. Dale's restaurant some men 
had eaten some oysters and had fallen 
on the floor in a drunken sleep. John 
Pl^elps was teasing them. Mr. Dale's 



son, John D. Dale, then a ])oy fifteen 
years of age, was attending the restau- 
rant, and remonstrated with Phelps. 
James Phelps came in and said to young 
Dale, "What is it your d — d business!" 
In a short quarrel that resulted Phelps 
struck the boy and knocked him down 
and the two clinched. The boy's father 
sought to interfere, but John Phelps 
caught and held him. Jonah caught up 
a chair and used it when and where he 
could. 

Jim Phelps and John Dale were on 
the floor, and Phelps was stabbing and 
cutting the boy fearfully. He made 
eight severe wounds. Jonah Phelps 
struck at Dale with a poker, but missed 
him and the blow fell upon Jim Phelps, 
stunning him. Young Dale then sprang 
up, all bleeding from his stab wounds, 
and ran behind the counter and secured 
a revolver. Jim Phelps recovered and 
again advanced, when Dale shot him 
through the upper portion of the body 
from side to side. He staggered to near 
the door and fell dead. As he was walk- 
ing off. Dale again fired, or the pistol 
was accidentally discharged, and wound- 
ed him in the heel. At the first crack 
of the pistol John Phelps released old 
man Dale and started towards young- 
John, who fired and shot him fairly 
through the body, the ball passing 
through one lung. Jonah ran away and 
escaped unhurt. 

Young Dale was arrested while lying 
in bed suffering from his numerous 
wounds, and upon preliminary examina- 
tion was bound over. He was indicted 
soon after and at the November term 
following (1875) he was tried on a 
charge of murder. Prosecuting Attor- 
ney Dobyns made most strenuous efforts 



104 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



to convict him, going, as some thought, 
bej'ond his duty in his zeal; but the 
jury acquitted him without leaving their 
seats. Indeed, they announced that they 
were ready to render a verdict as soon 
as the evidence in the prosecution was 
in and before that of the defense had 
been introduced. 

John Phelps recovered from his severe 
wound. -lolm Dale grew to manhood 
here and is the present clerk of Shelby 
county. 

It is perhaps just to say that it is 
universally considered that there was not 
the least element of crime in what he 
did. Indeed, there are many who think 
that for a fifteen-year-old boy he ex- 
hibited remarkable courage and proved 
himself a hero instead of a criminal, and 
that he should nevei^have been indicted 
or even arrested. — Shelby County His- 
tory, 1884. 

BEUCE GREEN I\JLLS C.iLVIN WARREN. 

In the summer of 1880 a fatal stab- 
bing occurred at Lakenan. Calvin War- 
ren and a young man, Bruce Green, had 
been to Shelbyville with a load of pot- 
tery, which they disposed of, and re- 
turning by way of Shelbina, on the road 
home, being intoxicated, they quarreled 
over a trivial matter. After reaching 
Lakenan the quarrel was renewed, and 
Warren, who was the aggressor, made 
an assault upon Green, who stabbed him 
so badly he died in a few hours. 

Green was indicted in October, 1880, 
and gave bond for .$1,000. At the A]n\\ 
term, 1881, he was tried at Shelbyville 
and acquitted. It was a trial that ex- 
cited the interest of the whole country. 
Prosecuting Attorney R. P. Giles made 
a strenuous effort to convict, two of 



Warren's sisters, who attended the trial 
and were ladies of wealth, offering to 
pay well any additional counsel needed, 
but the prosecutor refused aid. The 
prisoner was ably defended In- his uncle, 
Hon. J. G. Blair, of Lewis county. Blair 
was a distinguished pleader, and it is 
said his speech in behalf of his nephew 
was marked for its eloquence, its force, 
and its tenderness. Green was acquitted 
and went home with his uncle to make 
his home permanently. 

A NEGRO MURDER C.\SE. 

In 1881 Shelbina had a murder, when 
a negress was killed by some colored 
men. It seems that some negroes were 
at enmity with a negro man who was 
the recipient of too many favors of a 
negress, an inmate of the house where 
the shooting was done. 

On the night of the murder, five negro 
men — Baily Lafoe, William Wilson, 
George Buckner, Ben Heathman and 
Oscar Brown — visited the house where 
they supposed the enemy was, with the 
avowed purpose of "doing him up." 

They attacked the house, and the 
negress started up from her bed and 
started to another room, when the assail- 
lants, seeing her through the window, 
thought it their man and shot and killed 
her. 

They were all arrested. Brown turned 
state's evidence. At the October term 
of Circuit court, 1881, George Buckner 
and AVilliam Wilson were convicted of 
murder in the second degree and given a 
sentence of eleven years for Buckner and 
ten years for Wilson. At the following 
April term a nolle qurosequi was en- 
tered in each of the other cases, and 
Heathman, Lafoe and Brown were dis- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



105 



charged. It was said that Brown fired 
the fatal shot. 

THE ROBBER " JOHNSON." 

J. B. Johnson figured in the county's 
historj' of 1882 as the most daring and 
dangerous robber that had ever trod the 
fertile soil of Shelby county. Tt hap- 
pened that on the night of June 16, 1882, 
B. F. Smith, a popular proprietor of the 
City hotel in Shelbyville, was robbed of 
half a hundred by a guest who regis- 
tered as "J. B. Salmon" but later said 
he was "J. B. Johnson." He was a 
pedestrian, entering Shelbyville by the 
eastern road, and talked fluently with 
his host at the City hotel, representing 
himself to be a carpenter, and that he 
had been working in Lewis county and 
was en route to his home in St. Joseph. 
He was of gentlemanly address and 
agreeable in his demeanor, and there 
was nothing to betray his "outre" im- 
pression, on a casual acquaintance, but 
after a more scrutinizing survey one 
might otherwise interpret his cold, glit- 
tering eyes, his hard, cruel mouth, which 
would have a tendency to make one judge 
him as he was, — one of the most cunning, 
treacherous criminals of the country, 
daring beyond limit. Another alias used 
by him was Henry Clark. 

Whether he ever had a home or not 
could never be ascertained. The rob- 
bery occurred about as follows : 

Smith's guest asked his host for 
change for a $20 bill and early retired 
to his room. On the following morning 
about two o'clock Smith was awakened 
by his wife, who directed his attention 
to the robber, standing at the foot of 
their bed. with a di'awn revolver, de- 
manding of his host to arise and yield 



up his monej', or his life was at his 
mercy. Mr. Smith forthwith arose and 
delivered over to the man the contents 
of his purse, which contained in the 
neighborhood of $50. At the request of 
the intruder he then accompanied him 
to the hotel office, delivered to him his 
grip, and then the robber thoughtfully 
and courteously bade him adieu and 
stepped out into the night, to the music 
of the thunderstorm then prevailing. 

With the coming of dawn the county 
turned out in hot pursuit after the rob- 
ber, who was apprehended near the town 
of Clarence. Deputy Sheriff Charles 
Ennis first discovered him, and a party 
from Clarence, headed by the marshal 
and J. D. Dale, captured him a mile east 
of town. The Clarence officials had been 
notified of his whereabouts by Deputy 
Sheriff Ennis, who was aboard an east- 
bound train and recognized the robber 
walking along the road. He was cap- 
tured by main force, refusing, in the face 
of the well-armed and threatening depu- 
tation, to throw up his arms, deliver his 
weapon or make a surrender. 

When in the grasp of the officers he 
proceeded to become notorious. On the 
evening of the same day he was under 
guard in the second story of the hotel 
at Clarence, when "Johnson" ]>roceeded 
to auction off to the highest bidder the 
hat he wore, which he claimed belonged 
to the renowned Jesse James. Having 
attracted all the men from the street, 
he attempted to escape by making a 
sudden spring through an open window 
to the street below. He, however, was 
unfortunate enough to break a leg, and 
so was easily recaptured. 

At a preliminary trial Johnson was 
])ound over and sent to tiie Palmyra jail 



106 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



for safe keeping. It was here, before 
his broken limb was well knitted, that 
he headed and urged his fellow inmates 
on to an outbreak, making a brutal 
assault on the young man who carried 
his food, and whom he beat almost into 
a lifeless state before a rescue was made. 
On October 13, 1882, he was arraigned 
in the County Circuit court and plead 
guilty to robbery. The distinguished 
Judge Redd sentenced him to twelve 
years at hard labor in the penitentiary. 
Within the walls of the state peniten- 
tiary the daredevil was not cowed. He 
headed a revolt of some of its most har- 
dened criminals. With his own hand he 
fired the walls of the penitentiary, cut 
the hose to head off the quenching of 
the flames, and struck down every guard 
that came his way. The casualty from 
this desperate act cost the state $150,000 
worth of property. For this act he was 
sentenced to a dark cell, which only made 
a demon out of a sullen spirit, and, un- 
provoked, he attacked his cell-keeper, 
whom he beat to insensibility. The his- 
tory concerning the man during his 
incarceration is to be found on the rec- 
ords at the IMissouri state penitentiary, 
given us through the kindness of Mr. 
Roach, secretary of state, as follows: 

"J. B. Johnson was received for in- 
carceration from Shelbj- county, October 
15, 1882, having been convicted of bur- 
glary and larceny. His sentence was for 
twelve years. At the December term, 
1884, of the Cole County Circuit court 
said Johnson was convicted of arson and 
attem])t to 1)reak prison. His punish- 
ment for this charge was assessed at 
imprisonment in the penitentiary for a 
lonn of twelve years from October 13, 



1894. He was an inmate of the prison 
at the time he committed the crimes of 
arson and attempt to break prison. In 
the latter part of 1900 the prison physi- 
cian certified to the governor that the 
said Johnson was confined in the prison 
hosi)ital, was afflicted with consumption, 
that he was suffering from an incnral)lo 
disease, and that further confinement 
would greatly endanger and shorten his 
life. Upon this certificate the prison 
inspectors recommended the pardon of 
Johnson, and accordingly a pardon was 
issued to him December 4, 1900, upon 
condition that he immediately leave the 
state and never return. Thus endeth 
this chapter on Johnson, so far as the 
records in this department disclose. 
' ' Cornelius Roach, 
"Secretary of State." 

THE GREAT BENJAMIN WILL CASE. 

An incident that stirred the county of 
Shelby as well as the adjoining counties, 
and indeed all the states, in the 70s, was 
the great Benjamin will case. Mr. Ben- 
jamin has received much mention else- 
where, as he was a prominent pioneer in 
the early history of the county. From 
the "Hi.story of Shelby County" of 1SS4 
we publish the narrative account in its 
entirety : 

In April, 1878, a suit was begun in 
the Shelbj' County Circuit court to set 
aside a will made, or alleged to have 
been made, by Hon. John F. Benjamin, 
of this county, a few hours before his 
death, March"8, 1877. 

This was and is a "celebrated case" 
in the annals of northeast Missouri juris- 
])ru(lence, and will bear something of 
detailed mention and elaboration. 

Mr. Benjamin was a native of Xew 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



107 



York, born in 1817. He came to Shelby 
county at an early day — before 1846 — 
and settled at Shelbjville. He was an 
attorney of more than ordinary ability, 
and was possessed of great shrewdness, 
sagacity, and a^itness for money-making. 
He improved every opportunit.y to add 
legitimately to bis property, and in time 
became possessed of a considerable for- 
tune, estimated at about $75,000. It is 
said that he made something of a start 
in California during the flush times of 
1849-51. He was himself a "forty- 
niner." 

During the Civil war Mr. Benjamin 
was an ardent Unionist and early en- 
tered the Federal service. Some of bis 
services are noted elsewhere. He rose 
from a captaincy to a brigadier general- 
ship of the Missouri militia. In 1864 he 
was elected to congress as a radical Re- 
publican, and re - elected in 1866 - 68, 
serving three terms as a member of the 
thirty-ninth, fortieth and forty-first con- 
gresses. In 1872 be was again a candi- 
date, but was defeated by Col. John M. 
Glover, the Democratic nominee. 

After the war Mr. Benjamin removed 
from Shelbyville to Shelbina, where be 
built a handsome and comfortable resi- 
dence costing over $15,000. After being 
defeated for congress be repaired to 
"Washington and, in the fall of 1874, en- 
gaged in banking with one Otis Bigelow, 
the firm being known as Bigelow & 
Benjamin. 

General Benjamin bad long been mar- 
ried, but was childless. While in Wash- 
ington as congressman be formed the 
acquaintance of some ladies named 
Welsh. One, Miss Minnie Welsh, be 
took under his patronage and assisted 
financiallv and in manv other ways. 



Upon her marriage to a gentleman 
named Hammond he assumed a pro- 
tectorate over her sister, Guy H., a 
beautiful and winsome young lady, but 
capricious and guiltj^ of certain breaches 
of propriety and offenses against good 
morals. Married to a Mr. Allen, she 
eloped from him at Los Angeles, Cal., 
and in male attire concealed herself 
in the stateroom of her paramour on 
board a vessel bound for San Francisco. 
She was apprehended and the elopement 
frustrated. 

In Washington and elsewhere General 
Benjamin introduced Guy Allen as his 
adopted daughter, and she called him 
"papa." 

She made at least one trip to Shelby- 
ville with him, and accompanied him 
elsewhere on many occasions. It cannot 
be questioned that the general, old and 
mature as he was, was very much at- 
tached to if not infatuated with the 
fascinating lady. Her enemies allege 
that bis relations with her were illicit, 
as had been those be formerly main- 
tained with her sisters. It does not seem 
that Mrs. Benjamin recognized Guy as 
her daughter, or approved of her inti- 
macy and familiarity with General 
Benjamin. She and others had been 
informed that Mrs. Allen was a Wash- 
ington city adventuress, pretty' and 
engaging, but wily and wicked. 

In April, 1876, while at Shelbina, 
Benjamin made a will, which was wit- 
nessed by W. A. Reid, Daniel Taylor 
and other citizens of the county. By the 
provisions of this will Guy Allen was 
to receive a specific legacy of the gen- 
eral's military clothing and equipments, 
his private silver plate, and his dia- 
monds. She was also to receive the 



108 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



income from the proceeds of the invest- 
ment of one-half of his estate remaining 
after certain other legacies had been 
paid and satisfied. The investment was 
to be made in United States or ^lissouri 
bonds, the interest on which was to be 
])aid "to my adopted daughter, Guj^ H. 
Allen, aforesaid, during her natural life, 
the same to be for her sole and separate 
use, and neither to be jiaid to nor in any 
manner controlled by her husband. ' ' 

Also in this will the general directed 
that there should be erected over his 
grave a monument costing not more 
than $5,000, and on which should be in- 
scrilied the following: "John Forbes 
Benjamin ; born in Cicero, New York, 

Jany. 23, 1817; died at , 18—. 

A captain, major, lieutenant-colonel, and 
brigadier general in the Federal Army, 
and a member of the 39th, 40th, 41st 
Congresses." 

General Benjamin spent a great deal 
of his time in AVashington. He had 
rooms on D street, between Second and 
Third, which he occupied in connection 
with Mrs. Allen. Their rooms adjoined 
and communicated. Airs. Benjamiu re- 
mained at the elegant home in Shelbina. 

In the early winter of 1877 General 
Benjamin suffered from colds and neu- 
ralgic pains. On the first of March he 
was seized with a violent attack of 
pleuro-pneumonia. He died March 8th. 
At the time of his decease Airs. Allen 
was lying very ill in an adjoining room 
and was not informed of his death until 
ten days after it occurred. 

The general's body was immediately 
taken to an undertaker, who prepared 
it for shi]inient, and in charge of one 
George C. Rowan it was shii)ped to 
Shelbina and there buried. 



Immediately after General Benjamin's 
death a will was produced bearing his 
undoubted signature, "John Forbes 
Benjamin," and purporting to have 
been made Alarch 7, 1877, the day before 
his death. This paper was written by 
one George. Truesdale, a real estate 
agent of Washington, whose office was 
in the banking house of Bigelow & Ben- 
jamin, and who was well accjuainted with 
the general in his lifetime. 

He swore that the paper was written 
at Benjamin's dictation and signed by 
him as represented. There signed this 
l)aper as witnesses the general's attend- 
ing physicians, Drs. J. H. Thom])sou and 
G. L. Alagruder; his partner, Otis Bige- 
low, and Air. Truesdell ; and there was 
present, and witnessed the signing, the 
nurse, Catherine Alahoney. The fol- 
lowing is a copy of the will: 

The Will. 

Know all men by these presents that I, 
John Forbes Benjamin, of the town of 
Shelbina, County of Shelby, and State 
of Alissouri, being of soimd mind, but 
conscious of the fact that I have Init a 
few days to live, do make, ])ulilish, and 
declare the following to be my last will 
and testament, thereby revoking all wills 
and codicils heretofore made by me. 

1st, I give and bequeath the following 
s])ecific legacies: — 

To my good friend, Charles AI. King, 
of Shelbina, of Alissouri, my law library 
and furniture, or all that portion of the 
same now in use by hiiu, and my gold- 
headed cane. 

I give to George C. B. Rowan, of 
AVashington, D. C, who has given me 
so much kind care during my sickness, 
one hundred dollars ($100). 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



109 



To my beloved wife, Diana, all my 
property of every description owned or 
possessed by me in the State of Mis- 
souri ; also $12,000 in the District of 
Columbia, six per cent gold bonds. I also 
give her a deed of trust loan of $4,000 
made to John (J. AVaters, and a note for 
$2,000 of William Kidge, of Shelbiua, 
Missouri, which I hereby direct to be 
forwarded to her at Shelbina, Missouri. 

I give and bequeath to my adopted 
daughter, Mrs. Guy H. Allen, wife of 
James M. Allen, late of Cleveland, Ohio, 
all my interest in the partnership of 
Bigelow & Benjamin, and all debts which 
may be owing to me by persons in the 
District of Columbia, and all the real 
estate owned by me in the District of 
Columbia. 

She is now very ill and may not sur- 
vive me many days, and perha]:»s not at 
all ; in either event, I give and bequeath 
the part given to her to her sister, Mrs. 
Minnie Hammond, of Cleveland, Mary- 
land, wife of Eugene Hammond, of 
Cumberland, Maryland. 

My remains after death here to be 
suitably but not extravagantly cared for 
by an undertaker and the same for- 
warded to Shelbina, Missouri, for such 
cemeterial disjiosition as may be had 
there. I leave it all to the discretion of 
my wife aforesaid. 

I have long professed faith in the 
Lord Jesus Christ before me, as the Son 
of God. Into His liands I commit my 
spirit. 

I nominate and appoint my friend, 
Joshua M. Ennis, of Shelbyville, Mis- 
souri, the executor of this my last will 
and testament, so far as my property 
in the State of Missouri is concerned, 
and appoint George Truesdell to wind 



up my business in the District of Colum- 
bia, so far as will not interfere with the 
riglits of Otis Bigelow, my surviving 
partner. Subscribed by my own hand. 
Done in the City of Washington, in the 
District of Columbia, on the 7th day of 
:\larch, A. D. 1877. 

John Foebes Ben.jamin. 

Subscribed by us as witnesses in the 
]n-esence of each other, and in the pres- 
ence of and at the request of the testator, 
who declared to us that the foregoing 
was his last will and testament, the 
testator being known to each of us to 
be the party signing as such. 

J. H. Thompson, M. D. 

G. L. Magktjder, M.D. 

Otis Bigelow. 

George Truesdell. 

About March 1, 1877, or eight days 
before, his death, Mr. Benjamin made 
what was intended evidently to be a 
schedule of his property. This schedule, 
or memorandum, which was in his own 
handwriting, was as follows : 

"Bank, $34,500; St. L., $2,000; notes, 
$11,440; Ridge, $2,000; Waters, $3,000; 
bonds, $12,000; R. E. (real estate), 
$2,000; int., $10; in-ofit, $50; cash, $2,450. 
Total, $69,750." 

The immediate relatives of General 
Benjamin — his wife, Mrs. Diana Benja- 
min; his brothers, George H. and Henry 
H. ; his sister, Mrs. Louisa Wood; and a 
niece, Mrs. Thurza Parks — contested 
this will, and in April, 1878, brought suit 
in the Shelby county circuit court to 
have it set aside and declared null and 
void, on the ground that it had been 
fraudulently ol)tainod and made; that 
the principal beneficiary, Mrs. Guy H. 



110 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUXT\ 



Allen, had an undue influence over the 
testator, etc. 

It was further charged or insinuated 
that there had been foulest of foul play 
in the transaction; that a general con- 
spiracy had l)een entered into by the doc- 
tors, the nurses, Colonel Truesdell, Jen- 
nie Welsh, a sister of Mrs. Allen, and 
Mrs. Allen herself, to put General Ben- 
jamin out of the way, and to obtain pos- 
session or control of the greater portion 
of his valuable property. Some thought 
he had been drugged in his last illness; 
others that a will different from the one 
shown had been prepared by the Gen- 
eral's dictation, but that the one exhib- 
ited was substituted when it came to 
signing. 

Numerous witnesses testified as to the 
genuineness of the will, giving circum- 
stantial accounts, substantially agreeing, 
of its preparation and of the soundness 
of mind of the testator at the time of 
making it. It was also testified by all 
the witnesses who were present when 
General Benjamin died that at the time 
of his death and for some days preceding 
and succeeding that event, Mrs. Guy Al- 
len herself lay in an adjoining room un- 
conscious of what was occurring and had 
occurred to ^Ir. Benjamin. It was fur- 
thermore sworn to that Mr. Benjamin 
was not friendly disposed toward his 
brothers and sisters; that he had been 
estranged from them for years, and it 
was sought to establish the conclusion 
that this was the reason why they were 
excluded as beneficiaries of his will. It 
was furthermore sworn to that the testa- 
tor had i-epeatedly introduced and repre- 
sented Mrs. Guy Allen as his adopted 
daughter, and treated her openly with 
great affection. His first accjuaintance 



had begun with her during his first term 
in Congress, when he was a boarder in 
her mother's establishment. 

The suit was begun in April, 1878, but 
was not tried until a year later. The in- 
tervening time was spent in taking depo- 
sitions in AVashington and in other pro- 
ceedings incident to the law's delay. In 
April, 1879, the case was called in the 
circuit court at Shclbyville. 

Judge John T. Redd, of Palmyra, was 
on the bench. A strong array of lawyers 
from Washington and elsewhere was 
present, and the court room was crowded 
with spectators. The trial was prolonged 
for some days and eveiy point was hotly 
contested. 

For the i)laintiffs there were D. C. 
Cameron and Judge Barrow, talented 
and experienced attorneys from Wash- 
ington City; Thoma.s L. Anderson, the 
veteran lawyer of Palmyra, the Nestor 
of the northeast Missouri bar, and King 
& Giles, the well known accomplished 
practitioners of Shelbina. For the de- 
fendant, Guy Allen, there was A. S. 
Worthington, of Washington, now dis- 
trict attorney ; Hon. B. F. Dobyns, a 
most learned counsel and brilliant advo- 
cate of this county; Hon. Theo. Brace, 
an erudite judge of this circuit. P. B. 
Dunn, Esq., represented J. 'SI. Ennis, the 
executor for Missouri, and a lawyer 
named Barnard appeared for George 
Truesdell, the Washington City executor. 
Airs. Allen hei-self was present through- 
out the trial and testified as a witness, 
making a most favorable impression — 
demure and modest as a Quakeress, and 
shrewd and quick-witted as a queen's 
maid of honor. 

He, over whose effects the litigants 
were M-rangling and snarling, lay silent 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



111 



in his narrow house in the Shelbiua cem- 
etery, and those who ought to have been 
mourning his memory, were quarreling 
over his dollars. 

Of what avail now was the wealth he 
had toiled so long and so hard for — the 
privations he had endured, the hard bar- 
gains he had made and the enemies he 
had created thereby"? How much had he 
taken with him to that city whose gates 
are of pearl and whose streets are paved 
with gold and lighted with the divine 
glory? Alas ! for the dross which he had 
striven so hard for! It had become as 
the spoil of the pirate — as a bone over 
which dogs might fight ! Far better had 
he done good with it while he lived, vis- 
ited the widow and the fatherless and 
those who were sick and in distress and 
ministered to them in their affliction. Far 
better had he never acquired it. 

After some days the jury retired, but 
found it impossible to agree. In Octo- 
ber following, the case was tried again, 
with the same result. The multiplicity 
of testimony, some of it confJicting, the 
weary lawyers with their endless 
tongues, the lengthy and learned instruc- 
tions of the judge, the entrancing fea- 
tures of the principal defendant in the 
case, who was ])resent on both occasions, 
and sat the trial through, muddled the 
senses and confused the opinions of our 
Shelby county yeomanry. 

Before it could be brought to trial 
again the ease was taken on a change of 
venue by consent of parties (Judge 
Brace, who had come to the bench, hav- 
ing been of counsel) to Macon county, 
where it yet lies undisposed of. But in 
the meantime a suit was begun in the 
District of Columbia by Mrs. Allen, 
now married again to a Mr. Schley, of 



Washington, to secure the property 
which she claims was bequeathed to her 
by her "foster father." The nisi prius 
courts decided in her favor, and it is un- 
derstood th'at their decisions now await 
confirmation by the Supreme Court of 
the United States. Upon this decision 
rests the ultimate fate of the case in its 
entirety in the courts at Macon and else- 
where. 

The property in the District of Colum- 
bia has already been distributed by order 
of the Probate court there, and Mrs. Al- 
len given her share or the greater part 
thereof. The Benjamin relatives fought 
the case, without success, however. 

The decision that finally settled the 
case was rendered in the Supreme Court 
of the United States April 15, 1886. The 
case was decided in favor of Mrs. Allen 
and the Washington executors. All op- 
position was then withdrawn and the 
will was admitted to be probated. 

But the fascinating and beautiful Guy, 
fair of feature and light of love, yet 
reigns as a queen. She has at least the 
partial enjoyment of her fortune, and is 
liapjiy in the possession of her new lover 
and husband. She speaks in teuderest 
tones of General Benjamin, and takes 
great pride in exhibiting his letters, 
wherein he speaks of her fondly, calling 
her "Bonnie," and by other terms of en- 
dearment. 

Mrs. Benjamin, the widow of the Gen- 
eral, did not survive him but a few 
months. She died in Shelbina in the 
summer following, and was not buried 
beside her husband, but in the Shelby- 
ville cemetery, and there is, as yet, no 
stone to mark her resting place, or that 
of her husband. 

On Wednesday, June 12, 1889, the 



112 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



body of Gen. John F. Benjamin was dis- 
interred at Shelbina and interred the 
same day at Sbelbyville under the aus- 
pices of tlie Grand Army of the Eepublie. 

INDICTING "rebel" PREACHERS. 

The Drake Constitution, section 9, ar- 
ticle II, compelled preachers, teachers, 
lawyers, etc., to take the test oath, and 
this brought a protest from all over the 
country, from all denominations, Protest- 
ant and Catholic, but the authorities pro- 
ceeded to "make good." ]\Iinisters of 
the gospel were arraigned all over the 
state, and even three Sisters of Charity 
were dragged into court in Cape Girar- 
deau county and fined for teaching with- 
out taking the test oath. Fourteen min- 
isters were indicted at a single session of 
Circuit court. In our own couuty we fur- 
nished our own integral part of history 
along this line. In November, 1866, the 
following ministers were indicted for not 
taking the Drake oath : Rev. Jesse Fau- 
I)iau, three counts ; Henry Louthan, Rob- 
ert Holliday, Milford Powers, "William 
Pulliam, Father D. P. Phelan and Revs. 
Robey and Brown. The indictments 
against the preachers were found sepa- 
rately and charged each with having on 
a certain date "at the county of Shelby 
aforesaid, more than sixty days after the 
4th of July, 1865, unlawfully, feloniously, 
etc., etc.. 'jireacbed' without first having 
taken, sul)scribed and filed * * * 
the oath of loyalty," which said preach- 
ing was "contrary to the form of the 
constitution in such case made and ])ro- 
vided, and against the peace and dignity 
of the state." The preachers were ar- 
rested, but their trial awaited the deci- 
sion of a case before the United States 
Supi-eme court. The case was that of 



Rev. J. A. Cummings, of Louisiana, a 
Catholic priest, who was convicted in the 
Circuit court for teaching and preaching 
in the Circuit court without taking the 
oath. There was no proof he had been 
disloyal, but he simi)ly refused to take 
the oath. He was convicted, sentenced to 
a fine of five hundred dollars and to be 
sent to jail till the fine was paid. He ap- 
pealed to the Supreme court of the state. 
It upheld the lower court. He appealed 
to the United States Supreme court and 
it set the test oath aside as contrary to 
the nation's constitution. 

That court declared it to be an ex post 
facto law. It said no state was per- 
mitted to enact a law which punished 
men for offenses committed before the 
law was passed. 

That quashed the Drake oath law, and 
when the decision was made in favor of 
the preachers and the teachers, the in- 
dictments all over the state were never 
called up and never heard of again and 
Shelby county preachers went on their 
way in their mission of love. . 

REGISTRATION OF VOTERS. 

The convention agreed to submit their 
Constitution to the jieople for endorse- 
ment, but to be sure it would not be re- 
jected, they passed an "ordinance" de- 
claring that no one should vote for nor 
against the Constitution who would not 
first take the Drake oath. In order to 
make sure that none took it falsely, a 
system of registration of voters was 
l)rovided for. The registering officer 
was given the power to pass ui)ou the 
(lualification of all persons to vote, and 
if he deemed any of tlieiu could not truth- 
fully take this oath he refused to enter 
their names upon the poll books. Yet 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



113 



after this extreme precaution, the elec- 
tion polled on June G, 1865, a majority 
for the Constitution of 1,800, out of a 
total vote of 85,000. In this county the 
boai'd of registrars prepared a list of 
cpiestions, which were submitted to every 
applicant for registration. The ques- 
tions were printed in a book and oppo- 
site blanks for answers, one book for 
each township, and the applicants be- 
came a matter of record. 

SPECIAL, INCmENTS IN THE HISTOKY OF THE 

COUNTY 1865 TO 1884. 

Spring opened up unusually early, the 
song of the bluebird was heard in the 
land, but the weather was cold and damp 
and delayed the sowing of the seed. The 
farmer was so glad to return to his 
every-day routine life he began his plow- 
ing as early as the weather would per- 
mit, although not quite sure was he as 
yet, that he would be left at home to 
reaj), but there seemed to predominate a 
hush throughout the land that seemed to 
whis]jer of rest and home. News that 
could be ascertained from the chief seats 
of war and the signs of the times indi- 
cated that the war was over, yet all these 
signs had been misleading before, and 
so they entertained yet a fear that again 
they were all deceived. Planting in the 
county continued up through May and 
the first of June, but the season re- 
mained a favorable one, and crops were 
of an extraordinary yield. Everything 
was abundant and ]irices remained 
steady and good. 

NEWS FROM HEADQUARTERS. 

Al)out the first days of April news was 

spread broadcast that General Lee's 

I army in Virgina was in bad shape, and 



this intelligence was followed up on 
April 9, just four years, lacking three 
days, after the Confederates cajitured 
Fort Sumter, by the surrender of Gen- 
eral Lee to General Grant at Appo- 
mattox. But a few days previously Eich- 
mond had been occupied by the Federal 
troops, and when this intelligence was 
received there was the wildest enthu- 
siasm among the Unionists of this 
county. 

Even many of the Confederate sympa- 
thizers were not sorry to again be in the 
land of peace, even though the terms 
were far from their liking. 

But the hearts of the Southerners 
knew no rejoicing. They were ready to 
fight to the bitter end for the cause which 
they promulgated. It was now self-evi- 
dent that they had taken poor stock in 
the Confederacy. It was now sure de- 
feat for those who followed the Stars 
and Bars. The Confederates became 
reconciled and awaited the inevitable 
with resignation to the end. 

THE WAR IS OVER. 

And the breathless waiting for news 
was not in vain. A quick succession of 
events brought the war to a close. A few 
days after Lee surrendered to Grant, 
Gen. Joe Johnston's army surrendered 
to General Sherman, and then followed 
May 13, Kirby Smith's trans-Mississippi 
army, except a portion of Shelby's bri- 
gade and some other Confederate Mis- 
sourians, some five hundred, went on to 
Mexico. Soon Confederate soldiers be- 
gan to return to their Missouri homes. 
Many lived here and others passed on 
through to their homes. 

In most instances the vanquished sol- 
dier was allowed to return to his home in 



114 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



peace, but in a few instances they were 
buffeted and taunted by the men in blue, 
an insult to the name soldier, which car- 
ries even with it the characteristic of 
In-avery. The Confederate soldier had 
fought a good tight, had openly acknowl- 
edged defeat, philosophically accepted 
his situation and had gone to his work, 
hoping to mend his fragmentary for- 
tunes. Not all were permitted to return 
to his dear ones at the dear old home- 
stead, for many a soldier in gray lay 
upon the battlefield, his life a ransom to 
redeem the cause he honored, while his 
loved ones at home were bowed and 
broken because he never returned. 

THE "dEAKe" constitution. 

On the 18th of April the state conven- 
tion, by a vote of 38 to 14, formed an en- 
tirely new constitution of the state, 
which was to be presented to the voters 
for adoption June 6th. It was called the 
Drake constitution, from the fact that 
Charles Drake, the vice-president of the 
convention, was its leading spirit, and 
from this fact and the extreme severity 
of the code, it has been called the "Dra- 
conian code," in comparison to the laws 
of Draco of Greece, which affixed the 
penalty of death alike to petty thefts and 
nmrder, saying in explanation that death 
was not too severe for small offenses and 
lie knew of no greater jiunishment for 
murder. 

The circumstances which led to the 
framing of the new constitution, the Dra- 
conian law, was the fact that the conven- 
tion went further, prescribing a "test 
oath," which declared that no person 
should vote nor hold office who had 



ever 



engaged in hostilities or given 



aid, or comfort, countenance or support 



to persons engaged in hostilities against 
the government of the United States, or 
had given letters, goods or information 
to its enemies, etc. It went on to say 
any person who had done any of these 
things or any other thing like them, 
could not vote, teach in any public or pri- 
vate school, practice law, preach the gos- 
pel, solemnize marriage, etc., unless such 
person had first taken the "test oath." 
All citizens attempting to teach or 
preach without .oaths were to be fined 
not less than $500 or committed to pri.son 
not less than sis months, or both, and if 
a person falsely took it, he was to be 
imprisoned in the penitentiary for 
l)erjury. 

The "test oath" is said to have dis- 
franchised at least one-third of the peo- 
ple till 1872, and it is said would have 
disfranchised another third had they ad- 
hered strictly to the requirements. 

The canvass which followed was a bit- 
ter one. Although the war was practi- 
cally over, all the Confederate armies 
had surrendered, yet a few guerrillas 
and bushwhackers continued their exist- 
ence in this state to the detriment of 
peace and safety to the sections they in- 
fested. Bands of military were kept in 
the field to hold the guerrillas in check 
and administer punishment for any dis- 
order, and a spirit of unrest prevailed, 
and the provisions of the new constitu- 
tion and the restrictions connected there- 
with, the embittered feeling which hos- 
tilities had caused, all bred ill will and 
was not calculatedlto restore an era of 
good feeling. 

Hundreds of taxpayers, many of them 
old and honored citizens, were denied 
the privilege of the l)allot in the decision 
of the great contest before the state, the 



HISTOEY OP SHELBY COUNTY 



115 



making of an organic law, to affect and 
govern them and their children. 

On the other hand the friends of the 
new constitution maintained that citizens 
who, by overt or covert acts, had at- 
tempted to destroy the government, who 
had, liy lighting against the Federal gov- 
ernment, "committed treason," or in 
deeds, words or sympathy, given en- 
couragement to those who had, were not 
and coiald not be proper recijaients of the 
ballot. They further alleged had the 
Confederate armies succeeded and Mis- 
souri become one of the Confederate 
states, then the Unionist would have con- 
sidered himself fortunate had he been 
allowed the privilege of living in the 
state. That he would not have been al- 
lowed to vote, etc., etc. 

Even in our own county, threats are 
said to be on record, such as a speech of 
Senator Green's at Shelbj^ville in 1861, 
in which he said in speaking to the Union 
men, "If you win, we will leave; if kc 
win, you shall leave." 

The whole state cast the following 
vote, which shows how the vote was cut 
down. Total vote cast at the election 
adopting constitution, 85,478; for, 43,- 
670 ; against, 41,808 ; majority for, 1,862. 
The Shelby county vote stood : For, 282 ; 
against, 164. 

Small wonder the ex-Confederates 
hated with a liitterness the Drake consti- 
tution, but happily the bitterness of 
strife is ])assing on down the march of 
time and the Union is walking, as it were, 
hand in hand, seeking the welfare of our 
free land. 

AFTER THE WAR. 

When war was a thing of history and 
the excitement was a thing of the past, 



the people again took up their regular 
avocations, the county made rapid prog- 
ress in her development, increasing her 
population at a rapid rate, making val- 
uable business acquisitions and perma- 
nent business improvements. Immigra- 
tion was livelier than before in the coun- 
ty's history, and took up large tracts for 
homes, building thereon houses that were 
an improvement over the average home 
of the past. Much new land was opened 
up and the older tracts were improved. 

The war had left the county badly in 
debt, had interfered with its business in 
a general way, so that all public im- 
provement had closed, but as soon as 
these debts were gotten out of the way, 
public improvements were again fore- 
most and the public highway was im- 
proved. Roads were built, bridges con- 
structed, etc., as soon as the county 
could jjrovide the means. 

On July 15, 1871, a contract was let for 
the first bridge that crossed Salt river 
between Shelbina and Shelbj-ville, at the 
old Dickerson ford. The contract price 
was $5,373.75, but the bridge with its ap- 
proaches cost $10,007. The work was 
completed in December, 1871. 

In 1871 the tirst iron bridge of the 
county spanned the South Fabius, in the 
northeastern part of the county. It was 
built by Bishop & Eaton at a cost of 
$2,800. " 

ROBBERY OF THE COUNTY TREASURY. 

Shelby county had not survived the de- 
]iletion of its treasury by war, when on 
November 20, 1868, the county treasury 
was looted of $10,000 by burglars. The 
treasury was a safe the county bought in 
1857, and set in a vault, built for the pur- 
pose, in the county clerk's office. It was 



116 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



supposed, of course, to be secure and 
was the county's only "safety bank." 
The burglars had made their entrance 
into the county clerk's office by the north 
window. The doors were pried open 
with levers and steel wedges and pries 
made for the purpose. The safe was 
thoroughly overhauled and every coin 
taken that was in her possession. The 
robbery was first known when County 
Clerk W. J. Holliday reached his office 
on the following morning, and caused no 
small stir in the little burg. The bank 
contained in money : 



1 $1,000 



1 

3 


$500 
$100 


7 


$50 


301 


$20 


63 


$10 


80 


$5 


16 
19 
13 


$10 

$5 
$3 



national bank note. . . 
national bank note . . . 
national bank notes . . 

(or greenback) 
national bank notes . . 

(or greenback) 
national bank notes . . 

(or greenback) 
national bank notes . . 

(or greenback) 
national bank notes . . 

(or greenback) 
Union military bonds 
Union military bonds 
Union military bonds 



$1,000 
500 
300 

. 350 

. 6,020 

630 

. 400 

, 160 
95 
39 



Total $9,494 

Of this sum $1,290 had been received 
from the tax on licenses, $3,224 belonged 
to the state revenue fund, and $4,980 to 
the state interest fund. In addition to 
the simi of public money in the safe. 
Clerk Holliday had some funds of his 
own, and a considerable sum belonged to 
the enrolled militia, having not yet been 
disbursed, making a total of $10,000. 

Only a few days, previous the county 



collector, J. :M. Collier, had taken $30,000 
to Quincy for safe keeping, which would 
have afforded the robbers some extra 
l)in money had they come while it was in 
the safe. The collector made a full and 
legal investigation of the case, in which 
the county attorney, M. J. Manville, rep- 
resented the county. 

The result was the imblic officials were 
exonerated from all censure and blame 
and the implication of no one. 

Two men from Quincy, strangers, were 
unfortunate enough to be sojourning in 
the city at the time. The citizens became 
suspicious of them, took them into cus- 
tody and made a desperate effort to im- 
plicate them, even going so far as to take 
them to the country to lynch them, but 
they averred their innocence so fervently 
that they were released. 

The real thieves were never appre- 
hended. No tools were found till a year 
later, when some drills and wedges and 
a few iron and steel pries were discov- 
ered in a fence corner in a meadow south 
of town and north of Black creek. It 
was supposed they were the tools that 
cracked the Shelby county safe. 

POLITICS AND ELECTION OF 1870. 

The January legislature of 1870 
agreed to submit to the voters an amend- 
ment to the constitution abolishing the 
test oath and restoring the ballot to 
former Confederates, Southei-n sympa- 
thizers and all other male citizens, and 
relieving them of other proscriptivo pen- 
alties. The slaves and their descendants 
had already been granted this privilege 
in 1867. The people were to vote on the 
new amendment in November, 1870. A 
very warm and earnest campaign pre- 
ceded the vote; indeed, the Presidential 



HISTOBY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



117 



yea.rs did not eclipse it. The Republican 
party disagreed as to what should be 
done to the large number of disfran- 
chised citizens. Many hoped to post- 
pone it. These were called Radical Re- 
IDublicans, but an equal number believed 
in a removal of all political disabilities at 
once. These were termed Liberal Repub- 
licans. The Radicals were led by Charles 
D. Drake, and maintained the extreme 
and iron-clad policy, and the Liberals, 
headed by Gratz Brown and Carl Schurz, 
contended for a more magnanimous pol- 
icy for those who had by word or deed 
held complicitly with the rebellion. 

The Radicals in convention at Jeffer- 
son City, nominated Joseph W. McClurg 
for re-election for governor. The Liber- 
als withdrew and adopted a platform and 
nominated Gratz Brown for governor. 
The Democrats declined to nominate a 
ticket and supported the Liberal Repub- 
lican ticket. There was a growing sen- 
timent among the people that the war 
was over, that the time for iron-clad 
oaths was past. 

Taxation without representation was 
growing more unpopular every day, that 
since negroes, who formerly were slaves, 
was now allowed the ballot, their mas- 
ters shrould not be denied its jirivilege. 
That public sentiment, both within and 
out of the borders of the state, was mak- 
ing largely against the condition of af- 
fairs as tyrannical and unjust. 

Owing to the test oath associated with 
the Drake constitution, very few Demo- 
crats ever reached the polls and there- 
fore had little power in the direction of 
pu))lic affairs. As was natural, few Con- 
federates or their sympathizers were Re- 
publicans. Their disfranchisement had 



embittered them against the author of 
their condition, and they cast lots with 
the Democrats, whether or not they were 
of that faith before the war. With the 
Confederates at their right hand and a 
split in the Republican ranks it was ap- 
parent, once the disfranchising clause 
was removed, the Democratic party 
would speedily come into power. 

In Shelby county politics were hum- 
ming. The old Democratic war-horses, 
who for so long had been a prodigal out 
in the cold, pricked up their ears and 
scrambled forward to win out. The party 
managers held the reins well under con- 
trol. A combination ticket between the 
Democrats and the Liberals was ar- 
ranged and shrewd politics was played 
to make sure the overthrow of the 
Radicals. 

REGISTRATION IN 1870. 

Salt River 308 

Jackson 178 

Clay 184 

Jefferson 93 

Taylor 87 

Black Creek 263 

Bethel , 183 

Tiger Fork 107 

Total ..1,403 

The election in the county was a mixed 
triumph for Liberals and Democrats. 

Governor— McC/m/-^, 600 ; Brown, 637. 

Congress — J. T. K. Hay ward, 594; J. 
G. Blair, 635. 

Representative — Shorts, 571 ; Shafer, 
653. 

Circuit Clerk — Leounrd Dobbins, 616; 
Duncan, 591. 



118 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



County Clerk — E. A. Graves, 661; J. 
S. Preston, 542. 

SheriE— William A. Poillon, 534; S. F. 
Dunn, 677. 

Note. — Straight Republicans in italic. 

On the amendments the vote stood: 
For, 881 ; against, 242. 

In the state they were adopted by more 
than 100,000 majority. Brown defeated 
McClurg by 41,038. 

The year 1870 is memorable in history 
as having been the year when the Radi- 
cals allowed both the "niggers and 
rebels" to vote in Missouri. 

CENSUS or 1880. 

The population of Shelby county in 
1880 was: Whites, 13,089; colored, 935. 
Total, 14,024. 

TOWNSHIP ENUMERATION. 

Bethel 1,343 

Black Creek, including Shelbyville 2,074 

Clay, including Clarence 1,761 

Jackson, including Hunnewell .... 2,057 

Jefferson 1,548 

Salt River, including Shelbina 2,866 

Taylor 1,212 

Tiger Fork 1,163 



TOWNS. 

Shelbina . . . .1,289 Clarence 570 

Shelbyville . . 619 Hunnewell .... 424 

1860, 1870, 1880 compaeed. 

Whites 6,565 9,540 13,089 

Colored 736 571 935 

Total 7,301 10,111 14,024 

FLOOD OF 1876. 

The summer of 1876 is known in 
Shelby county as the "high water era." 
It was a cool spring and in the "good 
old summer time" came a remarkable 
rainfall that raised some of the streams 
of the county to their maximum height. 
Salt river was swollen beyond that of 
any past date, to even the pioneers, who 
remembered well the floods of 1844, 1851 
and 1856. It was literally from bank to 
bank at many locations. At the long 
bridge, over the old Dickerson ford, on 
the Shelbina-Shelbyville road, the water 
skimmed over the bridge and obscured 
its approaches. On the northern ex- 
tremity was washed a huge boulder of 
granite in the road. To the east side of 
the road was a large black oak tree with 
the high water mark of 1876 nailed on it. 



CHAPTEE X. 

The Agricultural, Society of Shelby County — The Shelby County Agricul- 
tural and Mechanical Association — The Shelbina Pair Association — Local 
Option and Temperance — Transportation Facilities — The Hannibal and St. 
Joe Railroad — The Building of the Shelby County Railway — The First 
Electric Railroad — Chief Pursuits and Surplus Products. 



THE agricultural SOCIETY OF SHELBY 
COUNTY. 

Shelby county deserves the distinction 
of being the first county in north Mis- 
souri to organize and maintain an agri- 
cultural association or county fair. This 
event in the history of the county took 
place in 18.39. In 1837 the Missouri leg- 
islature passed an act for the promotion 
of agriculture and the encouraging of the 
formation of agricultural societies. Two 
years later some farmers and citizens of 
Shelbyville held a meeting and organized 
the society. The records of this meeting 
were preserved and were kept on file in 
the court house. The following is a copy 
of the original record : 

"Shelbyville, 22d February, 1839. At 
a meeting begun and held in the court 
house in the town of Shelbyville for the 
purpose of forming an agricultural so- 
ciety, Capt. S. S. Matson being called to 
the chair and William Moore appointed 
secretary pro tem. On motion, B. W. 
Hall stated the object of the meeting. 
Question being put by the president 
"Whether the society be formed," de- 
cided in the affirmative by 25 — no one op- 
posing. The meeting being organized, 



they proceeded to the election of officers 
for the present year : Samuel S. Matson, 
president; William Vannort, secretary, 
and James M. Eider, treasurer. On mo- 
tion, John Dunn and William Gooch be 
managers from Black Creek township. 
On motion, B. W^. Hall and Thomas B. 
Rookwood be managers from North 
Eiver township. On motion, $2.50 be the 
amount of each subscriber. On motion, 
it was agreed that there be an additional 
manager in each township. Eobert Dun- 
can be appointed manager in Jackson 
township, Thomas J. Bounds for Black 
Creek and Thomas 0. Eskridge for 
North Eiver township. 

' ' It was agreed that the proceedings of 
this meeting be pul)lished in some public 
journal. 

"It was agreed that the society be 
called ' The Agricultural Society of Shel- 
by County.' 

"It was motioned and agreed that the 
annual meeting of this society be held on 
the first day of our March term 1840. It 
was agreed that William Moore assist 
B. W. Hall and Thomas J. Bounds to 
draft the constitution. It was moved 
and agreed that the subscription money 
be paid on the first of August. It was 



119 



120 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



agreed that this society meet on the first 
Monday of our next Circuit court for the 
purpose of adopting or rejecting the l)y- 
laws. On motion, this meeting adjourned 
until first Monday in March next, 1838. 
"AVm. Moore, S. S. Matson, 

' ' Secretary. President Pro Tem. ' ' 

The names of the members of this as- 
sociation were as follows: J. M. Eider, 
B. W. Hall, J. Foley, William Gooch, 
Montillian H. Smith, S. S. Matson, John 
Dunn, James Graham, 0. H. Perry, Da- 
vid 0. Walker, Thomas A. McAfee, 0. 
Dickerson, Abram Matlock, Robert Dun- 
can, Charles Smith, Elijah I. Pollard, 
Thomas 0. Eskridge, Thomas B. Rook- 
wood, William A. Davidson, William 
Moore, John Davis, C. B. Shepard, John 
W. Long, Elias Kincheloe, Lawrence 
Turner, James C. Hawkins, Milton Hood, 
Thomas J. Bounds, Robert Blackford, 
AVilliam H. Vannort, William S. Chinn, 
J. B. Marmaduke, Frederick Rook, 
George Anderson, John Hayes, Samuel 
B. Hardy, Russell W. Moss. 

A record of the constitution of this so- 
ciety was not preserved, but the follow- 
ing is a copy of the by-laws : 

BY-LAWS OF THE SHELBY COUNTY AGRICUL- 
TURAL SOCIETY. 

Article 1. Any person may become a 
member of this society on application to 
the secretary. 

Article 2. Each member shall pay to 
the treasurer the sum of $2.50 on or be- 
fore the first of August. 

Article 3. None other than a member 
of this society shall be permitted to con- 
tend for a ])remium. 

Article 4. All members intending to 
exhibit stock shall enter the names, pedi- 



grees and age, as near as possible, with 
the secretary before the exhibition com- 
mences, on or ])efore 10 o'clock of that 
day. 

Article 5. No member shall be per- 
mitted to contend with any other than an 
article belonging to him or some other 
member of the society. 

Article 6. The following persons are 
appointed judges to award premiums and 
certificates for the year 1839: (Names 
omitted.) 

Article 7. Premiums shall he conferred 
on the following: 

1 — Best stallion, $6; second best, cer- 
tificate. 2 — Best suckling colt, $6; sec- 
ond best, certificate. 3 — Best three-year- 
old colt, $6 ; second best, certificate. 4 — 
Best yearling colt, $6; second best, cer- 
tificate. 5 — Best bull, $6; second best, 
certificate. 6 — Best cow, $6 ; second best, 
certificate. 7- — Best boar, $6; second 
best, certificate. 8 — Best sow, $6 ; second 
best, certificate. 9 — Best four pigs 
(amended), $6; second best, certificate. 
10 — Best six sheep, $6; second best, cer- 
tificate. 11 — Best yoke of oxen, $6; sec- 
ond best, certificate. 12 — Best 5 acres of 
corn, $6; second best, certificate. 13 — 
Best five acres of wheat, $6 ; second best, 
certificate. 14 — Best five acres of timo- 
thy, $6; second best, certificate. 15 — 
Best yield from one bushel of ])otatoes, 
$6 ; second best, certificate. 16 — Best five 
yards of jeans, $3. 17 — Best five yards 
of linen, $3. 18 — Best five yards of flan- 
nel, $3. 

Article 9. Each member contending for 
a i)remium on any of the above articles, 
if on live stock, to furnish his manner of 
breeding, rearing and fattening and all 
other matters calculated to throw light 
on the subject. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



121 



Article 10. The successful competitor 
for each species of grain to give his 
method of cultivation and kind of soil; 
also the kind of seed. 

Article 11. Those on domestic manu- 
factures the whole method of preparing 
and manufacturing the same. 

No meeting was held in March, as was 
intended, but in June a meeting was held 
and tlie following record preserved: 

Shelbyville, June 8, 1839. 

Society met according to adjournment. 
William Gooch, Thomas J. Bounds, 
Thomas 0. Eskridge, B. AV. Hale, 
Thomas B. Rookwood and R. P. Black- 
ford, a majority of the managers present. 
The society jiroceeded to business. On 
motion, resolved that any person wishing 
to become a member shall have the op- 
portunity of now having his name en- 
rolled. On motion of John W. Long, re- 
solved, that no member of this society 
shall be ai)])oiuted as a judge. 

On motion, resolved, that Samuel 
Blackburn, George Eaton and Hiram 
Rookwood be appointed judges to judge 
horses and cattle. 

On motion, resolved, that Anthony 
Minter, S. E. Lay and William Connor 
be appointed to judge hogs and sheep. 

On motion of John W. Long, resolved, 
that the articles of wheat, corn, timothy 
and potatoes shall not be entitled to a 
liremium ; decided that they shall. 

On motion of W. B. Hall "that stal- 
lions shall be excluded"; decided they 
shall not. 

On motion, resolved, that the three last 
judges be apjwiuted to judge wheat, 
corn, timothy and potatoes, as follows: 
John Jacobs, James C. Agnew and W. J. 
Holliday. 



On motion, resolved, that the ninth, 
tenth and eleventh articles be adopted. 

On motion of J. W. Long, resolved, 
that no one article shall be entitled to 
more than three premiums. 

On motion, resolved, that the pre- 
miums be ijaid in silverware with the 
initials engraved on the same. 

On motion of R. W. Moss, resolved, 
that the two best pigs shall be entitled to 
a premium, and the article in the by-laws 
naming the four best is hereby repealed. 

On motion, resolved, that the liest calf 
be entitled to a premium. 

On motion, resolved, that no pig shall 
be exhibited over the age of six months. 

On motion, resolved, that the greatest 
(plant it j^ of potatoes raised from one- 
eighth acre of ground shall be entitled to 
a ]iremium, and the fifteenth article of 
the liy-laws is hereby repealed. 

On motion, resolved, that the exhibi- 
tion be held on the last Tuesday in Octo- 
ber next (1839). 

On motion, resolved, that the secretary 
inform the judges of their appointment 
by letter. 

On motion, resolved, that any member 
failing to pay on or before the time speci- 
fied shall pay the sum of one dollar. 

The association held its meeting in 
Shelbyville on the appointed day, and it 
was an event of much moment and was 
liberally patronized. 

Premiiuns were awarded as follows: 
Best stallion. Major 0. Dickerson's "Sir 
Harrison"; second best, J. B. Lewis's 
"Bertrand." Best three-year-old colt, 
Nicholas Watkins; second best, John 
Dunn. Best mare, O. Dickerson ; second 
best, Dr. J. W. Long. Best yearling colt, 
0. Dickerson. Best bull. Dr. J. W. 
Long's "Gustavus"; second best, Wil- 



122 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



liam McMurray. Best boar, B. "W. Hall's 
"Thomas H. Benton" ; second best, Bus- 
sell W. Moss 's ' ' Duff. ' ' Best sow. Dr. J. 
W. Long's "Queene." Best pigs, Wil- 
liam Moore; second best, Hiram Book- 
wood. Best five acres of wheat (125% 
bu.), Hiram Kookwood. Best five yards 
jeans, Mrs. J. "VV. Long; second best, Mrs. 
Eskridge. 

The association's existence was brief. 
Only two sessions were ever held. The 
awards were unsatisfactory, many came 
to the meetings and got drunk and fights 
were frequent. The best members with- 
drew after the 1841 exhibition. 

THE SHELBY COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AND 
MECHANICAL ASSOCIATION. 

On July 7, 1868, a second venture was 
made in the organization and mainte- 
nance of a fair association. On that date 
the Shelby County Agricultural and Me- 
chanical Association was organized by 
the election of the following ofiScers: 
President, G. G. Muldrow; vice-presi- 
dent, J. C. Duncan; secretary, P. B. 
Dunn ; treasurer, W. B. Cotton. The di- 
rectors of the association were: 0. T. 
Terrill, Robert J. Taylor, Samuel Dar- 
rah, T. AV. Sheetz, James Cheuoweth, J. 
M. Ennis, John T. Cooper, Joseph H. 
Foreman and "William Ridge. The 
grounds of the association were located 
one mile south of Shelbyville and were 
purchased of A. M. aud D. A. Brant and 
comprised at first forty acres, for which 
the association iiaid $600. The purchase 
was made July 18, 1868. On December 
6, 1869, the association sold back the east 
half of tlie o-rouud to D. A. Brant for 
$250, leaving twenty acres as the prop- 
erty of the association. The first fair 
held on these grounds was in the fall of 



1869. The jiurpose of the association, as 
stated by one of the officials, was "to pro- 
mote agriculture and husbandry purely 
and simply. ' ' Premiums were offered on 
the agricultural products of the county, 
as well as on the horticultural products 
and domestic science, together with the 
products of the loom and needle. To en- 
courage breeding and raising of better 
stock, liberal premiums were paid on the 
different classes of horses, cattle, hogs 
and sheep. The association prospered 
for many years and was the annual event 
of the county. The last officers of the as- 
sociation were: President, J. M. Collier; 
vice-president. Judge Joseph Hunolt; 
treasurer, S. Van Vaughn; secretary, L. 
A. Haj'ward; chief marshal, Milt Baker; 
ring marshals, John Ellis and Barney 
Moore ; field marshal, Dan McNeil ; ticket 
agent, Thomas Gentry; gatekeeper, 
James Baker. The directors were John 
T. Frederick, A. AV. Muldrow, J. M. 
Freeman, J. M. Gentry, AV. A. Hughes, 
AV. D. Gardner, AV. A^aughn, B. F. Fry, 
T. AV. Sheetz. The association held its 
last meeting in the fall of 1883. 

The association suspended operations 
on the above year on account of the or- 
ganization of the county association at 
Shelbina. The grounds at Shelbina were 
much larger and contained the good race 
course and were located on the railroad, 
which made them more accessible and in- 
viting to the general public, and as the 
county could not maintain two associa- 
tions, the Shelbyville association was 
discontinued. 

THE SHELBINA FAIR ASSOCIATION. 

In 188], the citizens of Shelbina pur- 
chased a tract of land consisting of 

acres of Dr. J. H. Ford, for which they 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



123 



paid $3,500, and which was located one- 
half mile north of the city. 

The association was organized on 
March 18, 1881, and the following officers 
were elected : President, J. H. Fox ; vice- 
president, Daniel Taylor; secretary, E. 
C. Dickerson; treasurer, C. H. Lasley. 
The tUrectors were J. M. Ennis, I. N. 
Bonta, C. W. Hanger, J. T. Frederick, J. 
H. Gooch, J. H. Ford, S. G. Parsons, J. 
E. Eidge and G. W. Greenwell. The as- 
sociation has been successful and is one 
of the most popular annual events in the 
county. Each year the exhibitions are 
large and interesting. The improve- 
ments on the grounds are large and equal 
to those of any similar association in the 
State. The buildings consist of two 
large amphitheatres, band stand and di- 
rectors' office, one dining hall, several 
large stock pavilions and numerous 
barns and stalls for live stock. 

The Fair Association has been a great 
stimulus to the live stock industry of 
Shelby county and today Shelby county 
ranks as one of the foremost counties in 
the State in the live stock industry. 
Here annually are assembled the pick of 
the county in all the different species of 
domestic animals, from the proud roos- 
ter to the hybrid animal, which is the 
pride of all Missouri. 

Financially the fair has been a success, 
owing to its splendid management and 
the patriotism of the inhabitants of the 
county. The annual receipts of the asso- 
ciation now total about $4,500. The as- 
sociation annually distributes in premi- 
ums about $4,000. The admission fee is 
35 cents for a single admission or $1 for 
a season ticket. The association holds a 
four days' meeting each year, generally 
the latter part of August, and Thursday 



is always considered the "big day." The 
record on gate receipts was made Thurs- 
day, August 25, 1907, at which time 
$1,750 was taken in at the gates above 
the season ticket admission. 

The present officers of the association, 
elected in 1910, are : President, J. 
Thornton Keith; vice-president, E. W. 
Worland; secretary, W. H. Gillespie; 
treasurer, Frank Dimmitt. The associ- 
ation is out of debt and is jilanning for 
some permanent improvements in the 
way of erection and repairing of amphi- 
theatres, stalls for stock and new pavil- 
ions for live stock exhibits. 

LOCAIi OPTION AND TEMPERANCE. 

r ■ ■ 

Shelby county was one of the first 

counties in the state to adopt local op- 
tion. There has not been a saloon in the 
county since 1SS7. The last license 
granted in the county was to F. A. Des- 
sert. The license was dated February 1, 
1886. Mr. Dessert conducted a saloon in 
Shelbina. The county records show that 
C. D. Vine was granted a license on 
January 5, 1885. He was the next to the 
last man to operate a saloon according to 
law in Shelbina. On the same date (Jan- 
uary 5, 1885) the records shows that a 
license was granted to Dale & Hogan, 
who were the last parties to run a sa- 
loon in Clarence. Louis Dickerson was 
the last i>erson to own a saloon in Shelby- 
ville, and the last time the court granted 
him a license was on February 20, 1887. 
The first local option election held in 
the county was on November 5, 1887. 
There were only eight townships in the 
county then and four of these went 
"wet" and four went "dry" The local 
option, however, had a majority of 267 
in the total. The townships that went 



124 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



for local option were as follows: Clay, 
for 247, against local option 30; Taylor, 
101 for to 66 against; Black Creek, 258 
for to 71 against ; Salt Eiver, 303 for to 
236 against. The townships voting 
against the proposition were as follows : 
Tiger Fork, for local option 22, against 
local option 89; Jefferson, for 78, 
against 122; Bethel, for 87, against 124; 
Jackson, for 135 to 176 against. The 
total vote for local ojition was 1,231. 
The total vote against local option was 
964. This was a hig victory for the 
"drys." There was no further agita- 
tion of the question until in 1900, at 
which time some of those residing in the 
county, who favored saloons, thought 
the local option question could be de- 
feated. Accordingly the proper peti- 
tions were prepared and presented to 
the county court. The court called an 
election for June 10, 1901. At this elec- 
tion the vote was overwhelming in favor 
of local option. The figures were 1,823 
against the sale of intoxicating liquors 
to 932. This was a "dry victory of 991 
majority, nearly two to one, and the 
question has never been raised since. 
The county was, however, not so strong 
in favor of state-wide prohibition. At 
the general election held on November 
8, 1910, at which time the prohibition 
question was submitted to the voters of 
the state, the county of Shelby only reg- 
istered up 305 majority for state-wide 
])rohibition. 

During the period of twenty-three 
years in which Shelby county has been 
under local option there has, of course, 
been some violation of the law. The 
violators have been frequently punished, 
yet it is seemingly imiiossil)le to stop 
the sale altogether. The residents are 



perfectly satisfied with the law and it is 
likely it will be many a day before an 
effort will be made to repeal the law 
again. 

TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES — THE HANNI- 
BAL & ST. JOSEPH RAILROAD. 

It was twenty-two years after the cre- 
ation of Shelby countj' until the first 
railroad was built. 'What was known as 
the Hannibal & St. Joseph, now part of 
the great Burlington system, was com- 
pleted across the county in 1857. The 
initial steps to building the road were 
taken in 1846 at Hannibal in the office 
of no less a person than that of "Mark 
Twain's" father, John M. Clemens, Esq. 
The president of the enterprise was Hon. 
Z. G. Draper, and R. F. Lakenan was 
made secretary. At first it was contem- 
plated to run the new road through the 
county seats, which would have been a 
line connecting Palmyra, Shelbyville, 
Bloomington, Linneus, Chillicothe and 
Gallatin, then into St. Joseph. This 
plan was, however, defeated by the local 
jealousies and controversies which 
sprang up between the towns near the 
proposed line that were unfortunately 
not county seats. This feeling between 
the towns prevented the building of the 
road for some few years. The people 
along the proposed line, of course, fa- 
vored it, as did also the newspapers lo- 
cated in these towns. The people and 
newspapers of the towns close to the 
contemplated line were active in their 
o]iposition to the proposed enterprise. 
The newspapers of St. Joseph were 
strongly supporting the proposition, and 
on November 6, 1846, the Gazette in an 
article favoring the building of the road 
said: "We suggest the projn-iety of a 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



125 



railroad from St. Joseph to some point 
on the Mississippi, either St. Louis, 
Hannibal or Quincy." The people of 
Hannibal wanted the road to start from 
their town, the people of St. Joseph 
were interested in having the road reach 
their town from some point on the Mis- 
sissippi. It was certain that St. Josepli 
would be the terminus, but not so certain 
which town on the east would be the 
starting point. It was therefore up to 
the peoi)le of Hannibal to keep their 
eyes open or some other town might ca]3- 
ture the prize. The people of Hannibal 
were successful in forming an alliance 
with Hon. Robert M. Stewart, of St. 
Joseph, who was elected to the state sen- 
ate and who promised to work for the 
procurement of a charter making Han- 
nibal the initial and St. Joseph the ter- 
minal point. The charter for the new 
road was granted by the state legislature 
in 1847. The author of the charter was 
Hon. R. P. Lakenan, who was the strong- 
est worker for the enterprise. 

The principal supporters of the enter- 
prise in the legislature were Hon. R. M. 
Stewart, James Craig and J. B. Gar- 
denshire, of St. Joseph, and Carter 
Wells and John Taylor, of Marion. 

As soon as the charter was granted 
.subscriptions were started along the 
line. Public meetings were held and all 
phases of the subject wei'e discussed. 
The largest meeting, perhaps, in point of 
attendance and in importance was the 
one held in Chillicothe, June 2, 1847. 
Hundreds of delegates wore present and 
nearly every county along the line was 
represented. The meeting was presided 
over 1iy Governor Austin King, of Ray 
county; the vice-presidents of the meet- 
ing were Dr. John Cravens, of Daviess 



county, and Alex McMurtry, of Shell )y. 
The secretaries were H. D. LaCassitt, of 
Marion, and C. J. Hughes, of Caldwell. 

For some two or three years interest 
lagged and it was not until 1850 that anj^ 
further move of importance was under- 
taken. In fact, some supporters of the 
proposition along the line gave up and 
advocated the abandoning of the enter- 
prise. In 1850, however, the lire within 
the breasts of the people along the line 
began to burn again, new directors were 
selected to take the place of those who 
had grown lukewarm. Each county was 
re-canvassed and subscriptions solicited. 
The people became enthusiastic for the 
enteriDrise and those who announced as 
candidates for congress and for the leg- 
islature were made to promise support 
to the cause whenever and wherever 
opportunity presented itself. 

At the 1851 session of the Missouri 
state legislature, in February, the state's 
credit was granted to tlie erection of the 
road to the amount of a million and half 
dollars. The grant was made on the con- 
dition that the company expend a like 
amount in installments of $50,000. The 
county of Marion put up $100,000, Han- 
nibal $50,000, and in July of 1851 Shelby 
county promised $25,000, conditioned 
that the road should run through Shel- 
byville and locate a depot there. The 
people of the county had voted in favor 
of the proposition at a special election 
held on March 10 of the same year. On 
motion of R. M. Stewart, who was then 
agent of the road, and who was after- 
wards governor of the state, the bonds 
were ordered issued ujjon condition that 
the county should receive stock in the 
enterprise to the amount of the bonds 
issued. The bonds were issued for 



126 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



twenty years and were to bear 10 per 
cent interest. 

The company made the first two calls 
for this money in October of 1852. The 
calls were each for 5 per cent of the sub- 
scription, or $2,500. The iirogram was, 
however, changed before another call 
was made and the railroad in July, 1854, 
returned these bonds to the county can- 
celled, and no others were issued. This 
agreement was reached by the county 
giving the company a release from all 
liabilities arising out of the subscription 
and the road released the county from 
its liabilities. The county also granted 
the railroad the right of way across all 
county roads and streams. The agent 
for the county for the return of the 
bonds was Hon. John McAfee. On De- 
cember 10, 1855, the legislature of the 
state extended its credit to the road to 
the extent of another million and half 
dollars. The new bonds were to run 
thirty years and bear not to exceed 7 
per cent interest. The state was to hold 
a first mortgage upon the road for this 
extension of credit. The building of the 
road was now assured and work begam 
in earnest. It was planned by Duff & 
Co. to begin work at both ends, but work 
at the St. Joseph end did not begin until 
1857. 

The track from Hannibal to Palmyra 
was finished in June of 1856 and on the 
lOtli of that month cars were run be- 
tween Hannibal and Palmyra. Work 
was pushed as fast as possible and soon 
the road reached IMonroe City, and in 
1857 was completed across Shelby coun- 
ty. The road enters the county on the 
east just a quarter of a mile south of 
the Monroe county line. The first town 
it sti-ikes in the county is Hunnewell. 



The track then bears north of west and 
leaves the county just six miles north 
of the entering point. The main track 
of the road within the county is 24 73/100 
miles, and over half as much side tracks. 
Stations were established and are still 
maintained at Hunnewell, Lakenan, 
Shelbina, Lentner and Clarence. 

The ceremony of breaking sod was 
pulled off in Hannibal on November 3, 
1851. A large and enthusiastic crowd 
assembled, and many distinguished per- 
sons from different parts of the state 
attended. Among the number were E. 
M. Stewart, who turned the first spade- 
ful of dirt, and who was afterwards 
governor. Also Hon. J. H. Lucas and 
Hon. L. M. Kennett. The speech of the 
day was made by Hon. J. B. Crickett, 
of "st. Louis. In 1851 the board of di- 
rectors memorialized congress for a 
large grant of land to aid in the construc- 
tion of the road. R. M. Stewart and R. 
F. Lakenan visited Washington in 1852 
to secure favorable action of congress 
upon this all important proiwsition. 

In 1852 congress passed an act giving 
alternate sections of land to the state of 
j\Iissouri in trust for the benefit of the 
railroad from Hannibal to St. Joseph. 
The state then turned the lands over to 
the Hannibal & St. Joe Railroad Com- 
pany. This grant carried over 600,000 
acres of Missouri's best lands into the 
hands of the railroad company and it 
was then a sure thing the road would be 
built. In 1852 a contract was made with 
Duff & Leamon, of New York, to build 
the line. The contract was to build over 
the "northern route" through Shelby- 
ville in this county. On March 10, 1853, 
the directors met in Glasgow and decided 
to follow the "southern route," or the 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



12: 



present route. The contract was then 
re-let to John Dnft" & Co. to build the 
line at $23,000 per mile. 

The chief engineer in locating the line 
was Maj. James M. Bucklin. The north- 
ern route came uy) Black Creek to Shel- 
byville aud then crossed the creek and 
passed west to Bloomington, Macon 
county. The survey was made in 1851. 

The county of Shelby, be it said to her 
honor, has never issued bonds to build 
a railroad except as previously stated. 
The road was secured without a burden- 
some bond issue aud outside of a few 
private subscriptions and the right of 
way grauts the road cost the county posi- 
tively not a cent. 

It is quite probable, as has been often 
asserted, that the Hannibal & St. Joseph 
could have been made to run on the 
"northern route" if the people and the 
authorities along the line had been a 
little more liberal in the matter of sub- 
scriptions. That route was more expen- 
sive than the "southern route" — much 
more so. The citizens and the county 
courts were asked to make up the differ- 
ence, according to the estimates of the 
engineers. They uniformly refused, in 
some instances, for the reason, avowing 
that they "didn't want any railroad run- 
ning through their neighborhood, scaring 
the stock and killing men, women and 
children, besides setting the woods and 
fields afire." In other cases, as in Linn 
county, prominent men objected to the 
building of the road because it would 
furnish superior facilities for the slaves 
to run off and escape. 

"Certain citizens of this county made 
desperate efforts to have the road lo- 
cated through Shelbyville, but they could 
not induce enough of their friends to join 



them. Too many were indifferent, many 
thought the road would come anyhow, 
and those who worked so hard gave up 
in despair. So Shelbyville was 'left out 
in the cold,' and Shelbina was created 
to become the leading town of the 
county." (History Shelby County of 
1884.) 

The Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad 
was completed in 1859. The first 
through passenger train came out of St. 
Jose})h February 13, 1859. The engi- 
neer's name was E. Slep]iy. Ben Colt 
was conductor. George Thompson was 
the first engineer to pull a train into St. 
Joseph. The construction work was 
completed l)y J. M. Ford aud others in- 
stead of the first contractors, John Duff 
&Co. 

Over six hundred guests sat at a ban- 
quet in St. Joseph on February 22, 1859, 
to celebrate the completion of the great 
enterprise. "The mingling the waters 
of the Atlantic, the Lakes, the Missis- 
slp]ii and the Missouri" was performed 
by Mayor Broaddus Thompson. There 
was great enthusiasm and joy displayed 
over the completion of the first road to 
cross the state of Missouri. 

The great Burlington system, as it is 
now known, has done much to develo]i 
the northern part of Missouri, and espe- 
cially Shelby county. The county is now 
one of the largest exporting counties of 
live stock, poultry and grain, and de- 
pends entirely upon this system for 
transportation facilities. The road at 
first charged 5 cents per mile and some- 
times more for passenger traffic, and 
has always enjoyed a liberal patronage 
and is considered one of the best and 
safest lines to travel over in the west, or 
in the United States. The passenger ac- 



138 



IIISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



eommodations are also of the very best. 
There are ten passenger trains daily, 
besides two local freight trains that 
carry j^assengers, and the whistle of the 
freight train bearing the great loads of 
grain and live stock from the west to the 
east, and the products of the shop and 
factory from the east to the west is 
almost constantly upon the breezes of the 
north ^lissouri jirairies through which 
the road runs. 

A person can now take a train at any 
railroad point in the countj^ at nearlj* 
any time of day, and land in Kansas 
City in less than five hours, and the trip 
to St. Louis, about 180 miles from the 
farthest point in the county, is made 
in about the same space of time. Hanni- 
lial and <,}nincy are reached in about two 
hours from the farthest point in the 
county. The road now charges 2i/o 
cents per mile for passenger travel and 
furnishes the best equipment and most 
comfortal)le accommodations. 

THE BUILDING OF THE SHELBY COUNTY 
RAH^WAY. 

(By V. L. Drain.) 

It is with much reluctance that I have 
undertaken the task of writing the his- 
tory of the Shelby County Railway. 
Having been more or less intimately as- 
sociated with the enterprise from its in- 
ception to the present time, the ])rompt- 
ings of modesty .suggested that it could 
be more ])ro]>er]y written by the pen of 
another. However, at the request of the 
compiler of this volume, who it seems, 
could not induce anyone else to contrib- 
ute it, T will endeavor to furnish an im- 
partial sketch of this important achieve- 
ment. 



It is not easy to determine with pre- 
cision just what act or what influence 
was the determining factor in the build- 
ing of this limited but important traffic 
line; neither is it a .small task to ascer- 
tain just at what hour it was made sure 
of completion. Indeed, to those upon 
whose shoulders rested the burden of its 
building there seemed no relief from the 
responsibility until after months of suc- 
cessful operation it was sold to the pres- 
ent owners, who are the successors of 
the original shareholders of the corpora- 
tion. Nevertheless, it is safe to assert 
that conditions and circumstances made 
necessaiy and possible the building of 
this railway. As necessity is the mother 
of invention, so is it the parent of oppor- 
tunity. 

The increasing freight and passenger 
traffic between Shelbyville and the adja- 
cent territory and Shelbina could not be 
properly served by the primitive meth- 
ods of transportation, and the bad con- 
ditions of the dirt roads was a serious 
handicap to the develo])nient of Shelby 
county and also a fearful inconvenience 
to the citizens. 

It was also appai'ent to persons of 
ordinary vision that sooner or later the 
vast rich territory lying between the 
Wabash railroad on the west and the 
Mississippi river on the east, would be 
traversed by a railway line rimning 
north and south and that any portion of 
this line so occupied would some day con- 
stitute a part of a great traffic line. And 
the time is drawing near when this will 
be accomplished either by the extension 
of the Shelby County Railway or by its 
absor]ition into a larger system which 
will serve the splendid region which is 
still largely unoccupied. 



HISTOnY OF SPIELBY COUNTY 



129 



Of course local couditions made such 
au enterprise to be exceediugly desired. 
Shelbyville was a county seat and the 
center of a fine farming region. It was a 
town whose citizenship represented a 
great deal of wealth and enterprise. To 
such people the isolation was growing 
intolerable. Situated eight miles from 
Shelbina, which was the nearest point on 
the Burlington railroad, they felt that 
they were enegaged in an unequal 
striiggle. 

On the other hand, the general public 
were clamoring for better conditions. 
Year by year the public road between 
these two towns was getting in worse 
condition, and there was slight hope of 
improvement with the tremendous traffic 
upon it. Shelbina was favorably sit- 
uated ni)on a great railway system, yet 
its people were connected in interest 
with the country to the north, and many 
of its progressive citizens desired a bet- 
ter method of transportation ; hence the 
time had come wheu such a proposition 
would meet a general response in its 
favor. 

Doubtless the time would have come 
much sooner had it not been for the local 
prejudices which from time immemorial 
had dominated a part of the inhabitants 
of each town. It is historical that many 
in Shelbyville had watched the growth 
of their sister city with a jealous fear 
that some day the county seat would be 
moved from one town to the other, and 
that Shelbyville with its classic past 
would be left throneless and desolate 
amid her sorrows. And there were times 
when such plans were seriously attempt- 
ed, and on one occasion the matter was 
before the Missouri legislature in the 
shape of a bill to establish a court of 



common pleas at Shelbina. There was 
a battle royal at Jefferson City between 
the representatives of the two towns, 
but it ended happily without scars. It 
is likewise true that this jealousy caused 
intemperate and unwise action on the 
jjart of some of the Shelbyville citizens. 
The feasibility of a railway between the 
two towns was often under considera- 
tion and was favored by many, but there 
was always a minority and sometimes a 
majority who favored building to some 
other point than Shellnna. How unwise 
and impracticable this was can be readily 
discerned now. The details of this fam- 
ily quarrel are not absolutely necessary 
in this narrative, but it will serve to 
show that there is a more excellent way 
for communities as well as individuals 
than the thorny path of jealousy and 
strife. It is easy to contemplate it now 
that it is ended. In fact, it had ended 
long prior to the completion of this en- 
terprise. Each community had learned 
that the other was magnanimous, and 
that the best interests of each was in- 
volved in the common welfare of all. 
The forging of the bands of steel was the 
result of this common understanding, as 
it would have been impossible for either 
town to have completed this enterprise 
without the aid of the other. 

Perhaps the first tangible step toward 
the building of this railway was taken 
during the month of July, 1906, when at 
the suggestion of Joseph F. Doyle, al- 
ways the dominant figure in this project, 
there was i^repared a form of subscrip- 
tion whereby the persons signing same 
agreed to take a certain number of 
shares of stock in the event that a cor- 
poration should be formed for the pur- 
pose of building this railway within a 



130 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



specified time. There was also a form 
prepared to he signed by persons who 
l)referred to make a contribution in cash 
rather than to subscribe for stock. At 
the time when these were prepared there 
were present in addition to Mr. Doyle, 
Mr. E. M. O'Bryen and the writer, and 
all three signed the agreement to take 
stock in the enterprise, the amounts s])e- 
cified by the three aggregating the sum 
of $5,000. 

AVith this as a beginning the work of 
securing prospective stockholders and 
cash conti-ilnitors was pushed with much 
vigor. Under the direction of Mr. Doyle 
at Shelbyville and Mr. W. C. Clark at 
Shelbina the scheme was brought into 
shape so that by September 1st of the 
same year a little more than $100,000 
was subscribed by ]iarties interested. 
And while the major part of the work in 
the earlier stages was done by Messrs. 
Doyle and Clark, the progress of the 
matter was facilitated by the interest 
and response of many jmblic-spirited 
citizens in both towns and also by sev- 
eral progressive farmers in the vicinities 
of Shelbyville and Bethel. One of these, 
M. S. Smith, was a member of the board 
of directors from the time of the charter 
until the sale of the property to Tjouis 
B. Houck, as hereafter narrated, and 
was unfailing in his devotion and loy- 
alty. Another was "William H. McMas- 
tei-, who died soon after the completion 
of the road, satisfied that he had con- 
tributed something toward the better- 
ment of the ])eo])le among whom ho had 
spent an honorable life. 

"When success was thus assured the 
matter was brought into regular and 
legal shajie at a meeting of the agreed 
stockholders held in the courthouse at 



Shelbyville on September 10, 1906, when 
the articles of incorporation were signed 
and a permanent organization efl'eeted. 
Soon thereafter the Shelby County Rail- 
way Company was chartered by the sec- 
retary of state and begun its career 
among the railway corporations of Mis- 
souri. AV. C. Clark, W. C. Blackburn, 
A'ictor M. Reid, M. S. Smith, Joseph F. 
Doyle, E. AI. O'Bryen, L. G. Schofield, 
A\'. W. ]\litchell and the writer consti- 
tuted the first board of directors and at 
the first meeting of this body, held on 
September 12, 1906, "W. C. Blackburn 
was chosen as president. M. S. Smith 
was elected vice-president, L. G. Scho- 
field secretary and treasurer, and \^ictor 
M. Reid assistant secretary. 

On November 5th following the or- 
ganization of the board of directors, the 
condemnation proceedings by which the 
right of way was acquired was instituted 
in the Circuit court, and on November 
29th the petition then on file was pre- 
sented to Judge Nat. M. Shelton at Ma- 
con, Mo., when Judge John Byrimi, of 
Lentner, Ed. C. Shain, of Clarence, and 
R. D. Goodwin, of Emdeu, were aj)- 
pointed as commissioners to assess the 
damage sustained by the various parties 
over whose land the railway had been 
located, and with whom no settlement 
had been effected. It is just to say that 
several ])arties whose land was thus 
taken either donated it or agreed to re- 
ceive such compensation as the company 
had offei'ed to pay. 

The actual construction of the road 
began at once and was prosecuted 
throughout the year 1907. In the earlier 
stages of this venture the skies were 
bright and many projihesied that it 
would be comjilete by midsummer, but 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



131 



as obstacles were encountered one after 
another, the difficulties of railway build- 
ing became apparent. AVith the gloomy 
skies of autumn many prophets of dis- 
aster came upon the scene and it was 
freely predicted that the scheme would 
fail entirely. 

It was at this point, however, tliat the 
constructive ability of some of the spon- 
sors of this project was made known. 
There were those among its iiromoters 
who proved themselves able to cope with 
difficulties and to bring success out of 
wliat seemed like certain defeat. It is 
not the purpose of this narrative to make 
comparisons or to celebrate the prowess 
of any of these. There are none, how- 
ever, but that will accord to Joseph F. 
Doyle a proper share of credit for his 
courageous and efficient work in the com- 
pletion of this undertaking. Having sold 
his newspaper interests at Shelbyville, 
he was requested by the officers and oth- 
ers interested to assist in the work of 
completion, so that the road would be in 
operation by December 30, 1907. It was 
necessary that this result he had, as sev- 
eral thousand dollars had been pledged 
in bonus subscriptions and all these were 
made payable in the event that the road 
be constructed and in operation by this 
date. Owing to unforeseen difficulties 
the work had lagged during the summer 
so that in the early autumn it was seen 
that it would require unusual effort to 
coni])lete it in the time desired. But the 
hel]) of ^Ir. Doyle was secured at the 
critical moment and he proved conclu- 
sively that opportunity and necessity 
are large factors in the development of 
men. His energy and executive ability 
]n'oduced mai'vellous results. He with 
President Blackburn were unremitting 



in pushing matters and they were aided 
by public-spirited men who admired the 
pluck and constancy of those in charge, 
so that after many trials and privations 
the last spike was driven, and on Decem- 
ber 28, 1907, the first passenger train 
steamed from Shelbina to Shelbyville, 
and the Shelby County Eailway took its 
place among the common carriers of the 
state. 

Since that time a majority of the origi- 
nal stockholders have sold their shares 
to Louis B. Houck, of Cape Girardeau, 
and it is now being successfully operated 
by the corporation, in which he holds a 
controlling interest. It is to be hoped 
that it will soon form a part of a north 
and south railwaj^, which is needed by 
this section of the state. 

It is worthy of note that Charles B. 
Ford, who was chosen as conductor and 
traffic manager at the beginning, is still 
in the same position, where he has earned 
a reputation for efficiency and integrity 
that is much to his credit. William C. 
Blackburn, the faithful and conscientious 
l^resident of the company, perhaps con- 
tributed more than he intended in vital 
energy. His death has occurred since 
the completion of the road and the anx- 
iety incident to such an undertaking- 
doubtless impaired his 'Strength and 
hastened the time of his departure. 
Some day he with the others who bore 
the weight and strain of this achieve- 
ment will receive the candid approval of 
those who appreciate the efforts of men 
who dared to solve the problems of our 
complex civilization. A great thinker 
has said that he who causes two blades 
of grass to grow where only one for- 
merly grew is a benefactor to his race. 
Grasping the idea behind this sentence 



132 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



and applying it to the work of those who 
improve the conditions of humanity by 
the hibor of hands or brain, it is just to 
say that their works shall follow them 
and that they shall receive the reward of 
men who tried. 

Veenon L. Deain. 

the north missouri inteeueban. 

For many months the people of north- 
east Missouri have been familiar with 
an intei'esting- drawing which has been 
posted extensively in ])ub]ie places. This 
drawing, the work of J. E. Sayler, a 
school teacher of Macon county, gives a 
"birdseye" view of the district, showing- 
all the principal towns and railroads and 
particularly The Hannibal & North Mis- 
souri Railroad, which is duly chartered 
and at this writing is in course of con- 
struction l)etweeu Palmyra, in Marion 
county, and La Plata, in Macon county. 
This road will touch some of the finest 
farming and grazing land in Missouri, 
and serve a large scope of country now 
remote from any railroad. 

There is an interesting historical fea- 
ture in connection with this noteworthy 
enterprise. William Muldrow, one of the 
early citizens of north Missouri, is said 
to be the character from which "Mark 
Twain" conceived his "Colonel Sellers," 
who stalks so triumphantly through the 
pages of ' ' The Gilded Age. ' ' Those who 
have read the l)ook in the long ago will 
recall the always optimistic and far- 
reaching Colonel Sellers, although they 
may have forgotten all else between its 
covers. 

Not only did "Mark Twain" find in 
Major ^luldrow rich material for his 
noted book, but Charles Dickens uses 
him as "General Scodder," the smooth- 



tongued sponsor for "Eden," in "Mar- 
tin Clmzzlewitt." 

Muldrow was the pioneer land boomer 
and promoter of this section. His only 
misfortune was that he was about half a 
centurj' ahead of his time. Now his great 
dreams have and are working out. He it 
was who saw the virgin possibilities of a 
great transcontinental railroad system, 
linking the two oceans, and it is said his 
Missouri survey was along the identical 
lines now under construction by the In- 
terurban people. To Muldrow belongs 
the credit of having invented a plow that 
was so satisfactory as a prairie breaker 
that it was generally adopted by the 
earlj" day farmers who had to go against 
the then stubborn prairie soil of north- 
ern Missouri. This plow, when drawn 
by several yoke of oxen, would turn up 
an immense amount of sod. It left a 
broad, clean furrow that could be distin- 
guished for a long ways. Many of the 
Missouri patriarchs tell it as a solemn 
fact that Muldrow drove a plow of this 
character along the trail of his proposed 
railroad from Palmyra through "Phila- 
delphia," "New York" and westward, 
and they insist that it wa& as practical 
a "survey" as could have been made by 
a corpse of skilled engineers with a 
wagon load of instrimients. 

"Marion City," Muldrow 's future 
great town on the Mississippi, was six 
miles east of Palmyra. He succeeded in 
interesting a number of wealthy capital- 
ists, and the place built rapidly. It was 
there Charles Dickens found his scene 
for "Eden," doubtless giving it that 
name because of the wonderfully fasci- 
nating advertising liy IMuldrow and his 
fellow townsite boomers. The original 
name of the place was "Green's Land- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



133 



ing." Muldrow evinced good judgment 
in the change of name, and but for the 
disastrous flood that swept it away 
Marion City might have been today the 
town of Marion countj'. 

Following ]\Iarion City came "Phila- 
delphia," in Marion county, and "New 
York," in Shelby, names chosen with an 
eye to the future possibilities. Marion 
College was established at "Philadel- 
lihia" and it became quite a thriving 
]jlace. 

Muldrow was called a dreamer, a vis- 
ionary, a man of impractical ideas, but 
liistory has shown that his energy was 
in the right direction. His dreams are 
working out. The state is tilled with fine 
schools and colleges; factories are 
springing up and railroads invading all 
sections. The Interurban will work out 
his most important dream, and prove 
that he was traveling on the solid ground 
of expediency when he as " Colonel Sell- 
ers" was illustrating to his wife Polly 
the way the road would run, using 
combs, inkstands, salt cellars and other 
homely articles of household necessity to 
fix the towns in her mind. 

The North Missouri Interurban will be 
a monument to the enterprising farmers 
and business men throughout the terri- 
tory it will serve. Henry Funk, who op- 
erates the Farm of the Big Meadows on 
Salt river, and some men of his kind, 
saw the urgent need of a first-class rail- 
road for the producer between the Bur- 
lington's main line and the Quincy, 
Omaha & Kansas City Eailroad. The 
original purpose was to acquire the short 
line between Shelbina and Shelby vi He 
and to extend it to Leonard or Cherry 
Box, and further. After investigation it 
was found that ])Ian was not feasible. 



In the meantime a campaign of educa- 
tion had been going on; farmers were 
interestedly discussing the matter; all 
wanted a railroad ; had to have one. The 
question was how? Mr. Funk, who had 
met a number of similar situations in 
states east of Missouri, took the stump 
and began his campaign of education. 
His plan now was to construct a line 
from the Mississippi river to some im- 
portant point in the interior of the state. 
It was while talking with the farmers 
and old citizens about Palmyra and east 
of there he learned of Promoter Mul- 
drow 's railroad scheme. Investigation 
convinced him the "survey" was a good 
one; that it struck a country literally 
flowing with the good things of earth, 
and many places admirably adapted for 
the establishment of thrifty towns. So 
he rolled up his sleeves and went out 
among the people, just as he had done in 
other states where they needed a quick 
and sure means of transportation for 
passengers, produce and live stock. He 
inaugurated a campaigii like Governor 
Bob Stewart did over fifty years ago 
when the question of building the Han- 
nibal & St. Joe road was up. There was 
opposition to Mr. Funk's enterprise, just 
as there was to Bob Stewart's. But the 
organizer of the Interurban was persist- 
ent. He didn't know what it meant to be 
discouraged. Of course it was a big un- 
dertaking. A large ninnlier of peoi^le 
over a wide area had to be met, and 
talked into friendliness for his plan. 
"While all wanted a railroad they were 
not all agreed as to how to get it. It 
was ]\rr. Funk's mission to unite them 
on a method — to enthuse them for the 
l)lau. Some thought at first he had po- 
litical asjiirations; that there was some- 



134 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



thing behind his persistent talk of rail- 
road, railroad, always railroad. By and 
by they became convinced that he wasn't 
going to give — that a road was going to 
be built. Here and there whole com- 
munities fell in line, eager to help along 
the work. There was a showing made 
that satisfied the people a road would 
be built, that it would tap virgin soil for 
operation and become a paying enter- 
prise from the start. 

When the plan began to assume shape 
Mr. Funk was assisted by Captain F. W. 
Latimer, an experienced promoter of 
Illinois. The two men have been con- 
stantly over the district, working un- 
ceasingly. The company received abso- 
lutely free right-of-way and yard sites in 
many places. Where discouraging con- 
ditions first existed, the glad hand is 
now extended. Some twenty organiza- 
tions were formed and a generous sum 
of money has been subscribed. The 
amount was attractive enough to induce 
the large M. C. Connors & Co. Construc- 
tion Company, of Chicago, to close a 
contract for grading from Palmyra to 
Philadelphia, fourteen miles. Other 
blocks of contracts have been let as far 
as Bethel, and at this writing over half 
of the yardage work is completed be- 
tween Palmyra and the last named town. 
Ties have been bought and scattered 
along the track ; steel rails have been con- 
tracted, and work is being ])ushed just 
as hard as weather conditions will 
permit. 

The name of Hannibal appears in the 
charter, but it is not at all certain the 
road will go there. The support prom- 
ised by that town did not materialize as 
strongly as was hoped. RecpU'sts have 
been made that there be no further effort 



to dispose of stock .there. As this is 
being written word comes from Quincy 
that the business men there are showing 
considerable interest in the enterprise, 
and that they will make a strong effort 
to have the line run there direct from 
Palmyra. The plan includes the large 
and thriving city of Kii-ksville as the 
western terminal. "With these two pros- 
l^erous and growing cities as starting 
points, and a rich agricultural and stock 
raising coimtry to traverse, the Inter- 
urban will begin life under most aus- 
picious circumstances. 

The road will be of standard gauge 
and operate regular freight and passen- 
ger trains. Electricity will be the motive 
power. Trains will be run for the ac- 
commodation of the people. That means 
they will make frequent stops, and there 
will be several trains daily each way. 

The men in charge of the road have 
recently submitted a report to the Com- 
mercial Association of Palmyra. This 
shows the amount of money paid out in 
gross on construction, and the sum paid 
by the citizens of Palmyra, Philadelphia 
and Bethel : 

Total money actually paid by Hanni- 
bal & Northern ^lissouri Railroad Com- 
pany up to December 28, 1910, for con- 
struction only: 

For work between Palmyra 

Jc. and Philadelphia, Mo". . ..$26,606.44 

For work between Philadel- 
phia and Bethel, Mo 15,454.05 



Total $42,050.49 

Note. — This includes engineers and 
material, but is exclusive of all other 
expenses, such as railroad fare, office 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



135 



exjienses (rent, stenographer, stamps, 
supplies, etc.), livery, hotel bills and all 
other incidental expense. 

Total money actually paid to Hannibal 
& Northern Missouri Railroad Company 
by citizens as below designed — up to and 
including- December 28, 1910 : 

Citizens of Palmyra, Mo $ 1,477.75 

Citizens of Philadelphia 7,570.00 

Citizens of Bethel Mo 12,700.00 

Total $21,747.75 

Balance in favor of Railroad 

Company, construction on]y.$20,.302.74 

CHIEF PURSUITS AND SURPLUS PRODUCTS. 

Shelby county, generally speaking, is 
an agricultural and live stock county. 
The principal crops raised in the county 
are corn, wheat, oats, timothy and clover. 
Yet the county produces some alfalfa 
and other varieties of small grain. The 
county is well adapted for grazing and 
the soil i3roduces blue grass that equals,- 
if not surpasses, the famous blue grass 
of Kentucky. The chief live stock prod- 
ucts are horses, mules, cattle, hogs, 
sheep, goats and poultry of all kinds. 
There are 514 square miles of land sur- 
face, which equals 328,960 acres. Of this 
amount of land 250,000 acres are sub- 
ject to plow. The farms average 120 
acres and are actually worth $16,000,000. 

Shelby county exports large quantities 
of grain and immense shipments of live 



stock annually, besides other farm prod- 
ucts. And in order that the reader may 
have some idea of the value of these 
products, we quote from the labor com- 
missioner's report of the state the fol- 
lowing figures : 

In 1902 the aggregate value of all com- 
modities, computed at prevailing prices, 
and which represented the county's sur- 
plus products, amounted to $922,535. 
The county excelled all others in the 
state in the shipment of timothy seed 
that year. 

In 1903 the value of all commodities 
exported amounted to the vast sum of 
.$1,432,654.26. 

In 1904 the total value of exports 
amounted to $1,796,298.11, an increase 
of $363,643.85 over the value of the sur- 
])lus products shipped from the countj' 
during the year 1903. 

In 1905 the value of all products ex- 
ported amounted to $1,916,298.11, being 
an increase of $120,347.78 over the 
amount received in 1904. 

1906 showed an aggregrate value of all 
commodities of $2,709,151. 

In 1907 the value of exports from the 
county was $2,734,062, which was a ban- 
ner year. 

In 1908 there was a slight falling off, 
the total value amounting to $2,564,006. 
But the county has steadily increased 
her ex])orts since that time until today 
she stands in the front rank of the agri- 
cultural counties of the entire state. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Government Sueveys — Original Townships — County and Township Systems — 
Organization of Townships — Municipal Townships of Shelby County — Tigeb 
Fork Township — Salt River Township — Clay Township — Taylor Township 
— Bethel Township — Jefferson Township — Black Creek Township — 
North River Township — Lentner Township. 



government surveys. 

Xo person can intelligently know the 
history of a country without a definite 
and clear understanding as to its geog- 
raphy and in order to have a clear and 
correct idea of the geography of Shelby 
county, in defining different localities 
and locations of land, we will insert the 
plan of government surveys as given in 
Mr. E. 0. Hickman's property map of 
Jackson county, Missouri. Previous to 
the formation of our present govern- 
ment the eastern portion of Xorth Amer- 
ica consisted of a number of British 
colonies, the territory of which was 
granted in large tracts to British noble- 
men. By treaty of 1783 these tracts 
were acknowledged as valid by the colo- 
nies. After the Revolutionary War, 
when these colonies were acknowledged 
as independent states, all public domain 
within their boundaries was acknowl- 
edged to be the property of the colony 
within the bounds of which said domain 
was situated. 

"Virginia claimed all the Xorthwest- 
ern territory, including what is now 
known as Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, 
Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. After 
a meeting of the representatives of the 



various states to form a Union, Virginia 
ceded the Northwest territory to the 
United States government. This took 
place in 1784; then all this Xorthwest 
territory became government land. It 
comprised all south of the lakes and east 
of the Mississippi river, and north and 
west of the states having definite boun- 
dary lines. 

"This territory had been known as 
New France, and had been ceded by 
France to England in 1768. In the year 
1803 Napoleon Bonaparte sold to the 
United States all territory west of the 
Mississii)pi and north of Mexico, extend- 
ing to the Rocky mountains. 

"While the public domain was the 
property' of the colonies, it was disposed 
of as follows: Eacli individual caused 
the tract he desired to purchase to be 
surveyed and platted. A copy of the 
survey was then filed with the register 
of lands, when, by i)aying into the state 
or colonial treasurj^ an agreed price, the 
jmrchaser received a patent for the land. 
This method of disjiosing of public lands 
made lawsuits numerous, owing to the 
different surveys often including the 
same ground. To avoid the difficulties 
and effect a general measurement of tlie 



136 



ITI8T0KY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



l;jr 



territories, the United States adopted 
the present mode or system of land 
surveys. ' ' 

ORIGINAL TOWNSHIPS. 

Before going farther, we think it will 
be wise, as we later enter upon the his- 
tory in townships, to give some history 
of county and townshiji system and 
the government surveys, which are im- 
portant, as much depends in business 
and civil transactions ui)on county lim- 
its and organizations. 

COUNTY AND TOWNSHIP SYSTEMS. 

With reference to the dividing a state 
into county and townshi}) organizations, 
which, to a large degree, have the power 
and privilege of transacting and en- 
forcing their own affairs and of in a way 
governing themselves, under the ap- 
proval of and subject to the state and 
national government, of which they are 
an integral part and therefore subject 
thereto, we quote Hon. Elijah M. Haines, 
who is high authority on the subject. In 
"Laws of Illinois, Eelation to Township 
Organization," written by Mr. Haines, 
he says : 

"The county system originated in Vir- 
ginia, whose early settlers soon became 
large landed proprietors, aristocratic in 
feeling, living apart in almost baronical 
magnificence, on their own estates, and 
owning the laboring part of the popula- 
tion. Thus the materials for a town were 
not at hand, the voters being distributed 
over a groat area. 

"The county organization, where a 
few influential men managed the wliole- 
sale business of a community, retaining 
their ]ilaces almost at their pleasure. 



scarcely responsible at all, except in 
name, and permitted to conduct the 
county concerns as their ideas or wishes 
might direct, was, moreover, consonant 
with their recollection or traditions of 
tlie judicial and social dignities of the 
hmded aristocracy of England, in de- 
scent from whom the Virginia gentleman 
felt so much pride. In 1834 eight coun- 
ties were organized in Virginia, and the 
system extending throughout the state 
spread throughout all the southern 
states and some of the northern states, 
unless we except the nearly similar di- 
vision into 'districts' in South Carolina 
and that into 'parishes' in Louisiana, 
from the French laws. 

"Illinois, which, with its vast addi- 
tional territory, became a county- of Vir- 
ginia, on its conquest by Gen. George 
Rogers Clark, retained the county or- 
ganization, which was formerly extended 
over the state by the constitution of 1818 
and continued in exclusive use until the 
constitution of 1848. Under this system, 
as in other states adopting it, much local 
business was transacted by the local 
commissioners in each county, who con- 
stituted a county court, with quarterly 
sessions. 

"During the period ending with the 
constitution of 1847, a large portion of 
the state had become filled up with a 
population of New England birth or 
character, daily growing more and more 
compact and dissatisfied with the com- 
paratively arbitrary and inefficient 
county system. It was maintained by 
the people that the heavily poimlated 
districts would always control the elec- 
tion of the commissioners to the disad- 
vantage of the more thinly poinilated 



138 



IllSTOKY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



sections — in short, that under tlic sj'stem 
'equal and exact justice' to all jiarts of 
the county could not be secured. 

"The township system had its origin 
in Massachusetts and dates back to 
1635. 

"The first legal enactment concerning 
the system provided that, whereas, 'par- 
ticular townships have many things 
which concern only themselves and the 
ordering of their own affairs, and dis- 
posing of business of their own town,' 
therefore the 'freemen of every town- 
ship,' or a majority part of them, shall 
only have power to dispose of their own 
lands and woods, with all the appur- 
tenances of said town, to grant lots, and 
to make such orders as may concern the 
well ordering of their own town, not 
repugnant to the laws and orders estab- 
lished by the general court.' 

"They might also," says Mr. Haines, 
"impose fines of not more than twenty 
shillings and 'choose their own par- 
ticular ofiScers, as constables, surveyors 
for the highway, and the like.' 

"Evidently this enactment relieved 
the general court of a mass of municipal 
details without any danger to the power 
of that body in controlling general meas- 
ures of public policy. 

"Probably, also, a demand from the 
free men of the towns was felt for the 
control of their own homo concerns. 

"The New England colonies were first 
governed by a general court or legisla- 
ture, composed of a governor and a small 
council, which court consisted of the 
most influential inhabitants, and pos- 
sessed and exercised both legislative and 
judicial iiower, which was limited only 
bv the wisdom of the holders. 



"They made laws, ordered their exe- 
cution by officers, tried and decided civil 
and criminal causes, enacted all manner 
of municipal regulations, and, in fact, 
did all the public business of the colony." 

Like organizations for the incorpora- 
tion of towns were made in the first con- 
stitution of Connecticut, ado])ted in 
1639, and the plan of township organiza- 
tion became popular and practiced 
throughout New England, as experience 
proved it economical, efficient and adapt- 
able to all the requirements of a free and 
intelligent people, and as immigrants 
moved westward they carried their popu- 
lar plans of organization with them and 
it became the adoption of the western 
states. 

Thus we find that the wise plan of 
county and township organization had 
been thoroughly tested long before there 
was a need of its adoption in Missouri 
or Shelby county, but as new country 
was opened up and the easterners moved 
westward across the mighty river and 
formed thick settlements along its west- 
ern bank, the territory and state, the 
county and township organizations fol- 
lowed each other in quick succession, 
more or less improved, according to the 
needs and demands of the poi)uiation, 
until they have arrived at an efficient 
state. 

In the settlement of the territory of 
Missouri the legislature commenced by 
organizing coimties along the Missis- 
sippi river. 

As the new counties were formed, they 
were made to inehide vmder legal juris- 
diction the countiy bordering on the 
west, and were required to allow the 
actual settlers electoi-al privileges, and 



IIISTOIJY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



139 



equal shares in the county government 
were allowed those who lived in its 
geographical limitations. 

The counties first organized along the 
eastern borders of the state were for a 
time given jurisdiction over the land 
bordering on the west, until they were 
sufficiently settled to support their own 
organizations. 

MUNICIPAl, TOWNSHIPS OF SHELBY COUNTY. 

The municipal townships at present 
constituted had their metes and bounds 
fixed l)y the May term of County court, 
1868. 

Jackson Township. 

Beginning at the southeast corner of 
Shelby county; thence north on the 
county line to the section line dividing- 
sections 24 and 25, townshiii 58, range 9 ; 
thence west to the range line dividing 
ranges 9 and 10; thence south to the 
township line dividing townships 57 and 
58, in range 10; thence west to the sec- 
tion line dividing sections 2 and 3, in 
township 57, range 10; thence south to 
the county line between the counties of 
Monroe and Shelby; thence east to the 
southeast corner of Shelby couutj'. 

At the November term of the county 
court, 1882, the boundaries of Jackson 
were changed so as to exclude all the ter- 
ritory lying west of range No. 9, which is 
also west of Salt river, and attaching the 
same to Salt River township. The west- 
ern boundary therefore begins on the 
range line between ranges No. 9 and 10, 
at the southwestern boundary of the 
county ; thence up Salt river to the sec- 
tion line between sections 14 and 15, 
township 57, range 10; thence north to 
Black Creek townshi)). The range line 



between ranges 9 and 10 is half a mile 
west of Lakenau. (Note change made in 
1897 under North Eiver township.) 

Tiger Fork Township. 

Beginnirtg at the point on the county 
line between Marion and Shelby county 
on the section line dividing sections 24 
and 25, township 58, range 9; thence 
north to the northeast corner of Shelby 
county; thence west on the county line 
to the township lincj, dividing township 
59, range 10, and township 59 range 9; 
thence south to the section line dividing- 
sections 19 and 30, township 58, range 
9; thence east to the beginning. (Note 
change made in 1897 under North River 
township.) 

Salt River Toivnship. 

Beginning on the county line, on the 
line between sections 10 and 11, in town- 
ship 56, range 10; thence north to the 
northeast corner of section 3, township 
57, range 10, on the township line be- 
tween townships 57 and 58, range 10; 
thence west on the north line of town- 
ship 57, range 10, and township 57, 
range 11 ; thence south to the county line 
between Shelby and Monroe counties, 
at the point of dividing sections 8 and 9, 
in township 56, range 11 ; thence east on 
said county line to the place of begin- 
ning. (Note change made in November, 
1882, under Jackson township. Note 
change made in November, 1897, under 
Tjentner township.) 

Clay TownsJpip. 

Beginning at the southeast corner of 
section 17, township 57, range 11; thence 
north to the township line between town- 
ships 57 and 58, in range 11 , to the north- 



140 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



east corner section 5, township 57, range 
11; thence west on the township line to 
the range line between ranges 11 and 
12; thence north on the range line to the 
northeast corner section 1, township 58, 
range 12; thence west on township line 
to the county line; thence south to the 
southwest corner section 18, township 57, 
range 12; thence east to the place of be- 
ginning. (Note change made in 1897 
under Lentner township. 

Taylor Toinisliip. 

Beginning at the northwest corner of 
Shelby county; thence south on the 
county line to the township line between 
townships 58 and 59, in range 12; thence 
east on township:) line to tlie southeast 
corner of section 33, township 59, range 
11 ; thence north to the southeast corner 
of section 4, township 59, range 11, on 
the county line; thence west on the 
county line to the beginning. 

Bethel Township. 

Beginning at the southeast corner of 
section 36, township 59, range 10 ; thence 
north on the range line to the county 
line; thence west on the county line to 
the northwest corner of section 3, town- 
ship 59, range 11 ; thence south to the 
townshi]) line between township 58, 
range 11, and township 59, range 11, at 
the point between sections 33 and 34, in 
township 59, range 11, thence east on the 
township line to the place of beginning. 

Jefferson Toivnship. 

Beginning at the southwest corner of 
Shelby county ; thence east on the county 
line to the range line between ranges 11 
and ]2; tlicnco north on the county line 



to the southeast corner of section 12, 
township 56, range 12 ; thence east on the 
county line to the southeast corner of 
section 8, township 56, range 11; thence 
north to the northeast corner of section 
20, township 57, range 1 ; thence west to 
the count}' line at the point between sec- 
tions 18 and 19, townshi]) 57, range 12; 
thence south on the county line to the 
place of beginning. (Note change made 
in 1897 under Lentner township.) 

Black Creek Toivnship. 

Beginning at the southeast corner of 
section 36, township 58, range 10, on the 
line between township 58, range 10, and 
township 57, range 10; thence north on 
the range line between ranges 9 and 10 
to the northeast corner of section 1, 
township 58, range 10, on the line be- 
tween township 58, range 10, and town- 
ship 59, range 10; thence west on north 
line of township 58, range 10, and town- 
ship 58, range 11, to the northwest corner 
of section 6, township 58, range 11 ; 
thence south on the range line to the 
southwest corner of section 31, township 
58, range 11 ; thence east on the town- 
ship line to the place of beginning. 

North River Township. 

Beginning at the southeast corner of 
section 1, township 57, range 9, running- 
north to North river; thence following 
North river west to the east line of sec- 
tion 9, township 58, range 9; thence south 
to the southeast corner of section 33 — 
58 — 9; thence east to the northeast cor- 
ner of section 3 — 58 — 9 ; thence south to 
the southeast corner of section 3 — 58 — 9; 
thence east to the place of beginning. 



HISTOrxY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



141 



Lentner Township. 

Lentner Township was organized in 
the latter '90 and hiter was enlarged. 
Its present boundary is as follows: Be- 
ginning at the southeast corner of sec- 
tion 10 — 57 — 11, running north to the 
northeast corner of section 3 — 57 — 11; 
thence west to the northwest corner of 
section 6 — 57 — 11 ; thence south to the 
Monroe county line. 

Jackson Toivnship. 

The first settlements in Jackson were 
made in the spring of 1833 by David 
Smallwood, Henry Saunders, Samuel 
Buckner and Eusseil "W. Moss on the 
southern border and 1)y AV. B. Brough- 
ton and others in the vicinity of Oak 
Dale. Jeremiah Eust came from Fau- 
quier county, Va., in 1836 and also set- 
tled at Oak bale. 

It was organized into a township in 
Decemlier, 1837, by Russell Moss and 
others, being organized out of Black 
Creek, petitioning such a change. 

Its original boundary lines were : Be- 
ginning at the southeast corner of the 
county; thence west nine miles to the 
middle of range 10; thence north "to 
the middle of the prairie between Black 
Creek and North river"; thence east to 
the Marion county line; thence south to 
the beginning. The first township elec- 
tion was held at "\V. B. Broughton's at 
Oak Dale, December 23, 1837, to elect 
two justices of peace and a constable. 
The judges at the election were George 
Parker, Samuel S. Matson and W. B. 
Broughton. The officers elected were AV. 
C. Mitchell and George Parker, justices, 
and Samuel B. Hardy, constal)le. 

Until the building of tlie Hannibal & 



St. Joe railroad, Jackson township had 
no towns, except the hamlet of Oak Dale, 
with her one store, her single tavern and 
the county seat. 

Lakenau was laid out on the Hannibal 
& St. Joe in June, 1858, by the veteran 
contractor, John Duff. It has a goodly 
location, rolling and well drained. It 
was christened in honor of Hon. Eobert 
F. Lakenan, a large land holder there- 
about, but who later was a prominent at- 
torney of Hannibal and a i^rime mover 
in the building of the Hannibal & St. 
Joe railroad. Mr. Lakenan married the 
daughter of Russell W. Moss. He died 
in Hannibal in 1883. 

Wlien the Civil war broke out this vil- 
lage boasted of a depot and several 
houses. In July, 1864, the station was 
burned by Bill Anderson and his band 
when they made their raid within our 
borders and others suffered at their 
hands. However, the town has survived 
her many storms and has continued to 
thrive and flourish until she can boast of 
a goodly number of nice cottages and 
homes and some stores, shops, churches 
and school that any rural burg may well 
be ]irou(l of. She boasts of fertile farm 
land all about her, from which she en- 
joys a goodly patronage. 

Jackson has had some coal mines 
which have been a convenience, but not 
specially profitable, the veins being 
rather shallow. 

Salt Hirer Toirnship. 

This is the south central township of 
our county and has always been promi- 
nent in all county affairs. It is composed 
of some seventy-five sections of land ly- 
ing to the north and south of Salt river 
and southward to the Monroe county 



14-^ 



HISTOKY OF SHKl.BY COUNTY 



line. It comprises of timber, prairie, 
bottom and bluiT, stone, timber and 
water. Some coal veins have l)een 
worked, but the quality is so inferior 
and the quantity so meager that the yield 
scarcely pays. 

Salt river, from which stream the 
township derives its name, enters the 
township at its northwest corner and 
flows to the southeast through the north- 
ern part of the township. 

Along its banks is a heavily wooded 
strip which is being cleared only too fast. 
In the bottoms are fertile, rich hinds, 
which are being used and which yield 
abundantly under the new drainage 
process and up-to-now farming methods. 
These are also used for ])asturing. 

It was Salt River township that 
boasted of the first permanent settler. 
Major Obadiah Dickerson, who located 
on section 17 — 57 — 10, on the north bank 
of Salt river on the main Shelbina-Shel- 
byville road, in 1831. A year or two 
later, George and Peter Ruff located on 
section 7, north of Walkersville. 

In the year of 1837 came from Dela- 
ware Perry B. Moore, Isaac Moore and 
their sister,Mrs.MaryWai]es,who settled 
in the northwestern part of the township 
57, range 11, section 10. In 1838 James 
Barr and John Barr, of Delaware, set- 
tled on section 15 ; James Carroll, of In- 
diana, on section 9, and John S. Duncan, 
of Kentucky, who had traversed or pros- 
pected the country in 1836, settled on the 
northwest quarter of section 16 in the 
year 1840. He was a valuable addition, 
as he lirought with him four large, mag- 
nificent horses of the blue grass blood, 
well harnessed, a good schooner wagon, 
and as these were a scarce article, they 
were ever in demand to break the tough 



sod overrun with the high prairie grass 
and his wagon to go to mill for the entire 
settlement. Mr. Duncan also had a sur- 
plus of money, a rare article with the 
early settlers. He was of a genial, hos- 
])itable, ])hilanthropic disposition and a 
valuable asset to the country. 

The first school house was built on the 
l)resent site of Bacon Chapel. It was 
built of round logs, with a ])uncheon 
floor, a clapboard roof, windows of 
greased paper and benches in the rough. 

The first school was taught by John 
B. Lewis in 1838, his ])upils numbering 
about twenty. Some of the pupils were 
Isaac, John and [Mary A. AVailes, Ander- 
son, Cornelia and Mary Tojjin, George 
and Mary Lewis. 

In the year 1838 Dr. John Mills, hail- 
ing from Ohio, located in the western 
])art of this townshiji and lived near the 
north line in section 9, township 57, 
range 11. He was the practitioner of a 
radius of twenty miles about for some 
years, but finally went to California. 
Elsewhere will be found a history of 
Bacon Chapel. ' It was the first church 
building and was built by the Methodists 
on the southwest quarter of the south- 
east quarter of section 9, township 57, 
range 11. It was first built in 1845. It 
was built of logs and the outside was 
covered, sides and roof, with clapboards. 
Old P\ather Eads could not wait till the 
building was completed, but conducted 
the initial service before the floor was 
laid. It was a service after the Pilgrim 
fathers' style, one of h'umility, loyalty 
and fervent in sjiirit. The building stood 
for twenty years and was succeeded by a 
splendid building in the 60 's, which 
l)uilding still stands as a monimient of 
the earlv methods of that settlement. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



143 



The site of the churcli was deeded to it 
by George Bacon. 

David 0. AValker was au early settler 
who built the mill on section 18 — 57 — 10, 
which was the cornerstone for Walkers- 
ville, which hamlet was christened for 
.Air. Walker. 

In 1838 Adam and Michael Heckart, 
early settlers in the northwest, built a 
mill on Salt river in section 4 — 57 — 11. 

Other settlers in this vicinity were W. 
T. Coard, section 1 — 57 — 10; Dr. James 
Rackliffe, on the northeast quarter of 
section 12 — 57 — 11 ; Prettyman Blizzard, 
James Carothers and Michael Watkins 
in the neighborhood of Bacon Chapel. 

It was about 1839 when this township 
was organized as a municipal township 
and its limits then extended to the west 
county line. Its present confines are de- 
fined on a previous page. 

In war this township has its history 
elsewhere written as the Shelbina fight 
in 1861 and Bill Anderson's raid in 1864. 
In the spring of 1862 Walkersville came 
in for some bushwhacking liy Tom 
Stacy's Confederate band, and soldiers 
Long and Herbst and citizen Lilburn 
Hale were killed, and Soldiers Henning, 
Ring and Deeuer were wounded. The 
soldiers were of the Eleventh Missouri 
State Militia. 

The bushwhacking of the Third Iowa 
soldiers, elsewhere detailed, occurred in 
tlie road near the old IMajor Dickerson 
place, then occupied by Mr. Connelly, 
who was an eye witness to the shooting 
of the bushwhackers. John Jacobs was 
in the door yard and had called to get 
water when a negro runner came up. tell- 
ing him that straggling soldiers were 
coming. The main body would have 
made havoc of the house and inmates 



had not the negro assured them they 
were in no manner connected with the 
affair. 

Jefferson Township. 

Jefferson township comprises the 
southwestern division, including all of 
township 56, range 12, which forms the 
panhandle district, so prominent on the 
map of our county. The greater portion 
of this township was prairie land, which 
has been transformed into elegant and 
valuable farms. The land as a whole is 
rich and productive and beautiful farm 
homes enhance the value of the improved 
modernized farm lands, and stock 
abound in her meadows. This township 
was not opened up by settlers until about 
1840 — perhaps because of the need of a 
wooded district in that day and the su- 
perabundance of the tall prairie grass, 
so stubborn to till with their pioneer 
implements. The first locations were 
made on Crooked, Otter and Mud creeks. 
In the years 1845-46 we find on Otter 
creek. Esquire Barton, Joel Million, John 
Hendricks, Henry Spires, Henry Smock, 
Madison Reynolds, Joseph Reynolds, 
Thomas Dawson, Elijah Bishop, J. M. 
Donaldson, John Kyle. 

In the extreme southwest corner was 
Slielton Lowry on Mud creek, and on 
Crooked creek were Enoch K. Miller, 
Ed Tansil, William Bush, John Dimgan, 
Henry Kidwell, V. Godfrey, Daniel 
Thrasher, H. Shoemaker, Samuel Stal- 
cup, William Stalcup, Senior, and Wil- 
liam Stalcup, Junior. 

Immigration was more rapid with the 
building of the Hannibal tS: St. Joseph 
railroad, but not ^mtil after the war did 
real improvements liegiu rapidly. 

During the war this township was 



144 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



overrun liy troops of both armies, as we 
have recorded elsewhere, aud its citizens 
on .both the Union and the Confederate 
sides were maltreated and miu'dered. 

A Union man named Fifer was mur- 
dered b}' the Confederates, as was also 
an earlj' pioneer by the name of Henry 
Spires, who was cruelly put to death 
and his body left to be later discovered 
by his friends. 

Later came on the Putnam county 
militia, noted for its cruelties, and put 
to death Confederates Wilson, Butler 
and Phillips. Phillips was a father-in- 
law of Fifer. Mrs. Fifer, during the 
days of anxiety as to the outcome of the 
war, mourned the loss of a husband and 
a father and doubtless her sympathies 
were not in the war, as one side had 
stolen from her her father, the other had 
ruthlessly struck down her life compan- 
ion. In the spring- of 1862, the Black 
Hawk Cavalry, of Macon, strolled down 
into Mud Creek district aud encountered 
the Confederates encamped there, in 
which one Confederate gave uj) his life. 

Clay Township. 

Major Taylor built the rirst cabin in 
Clay townshi]i on section 6 — 57 — 11, in 
the southeastern iiart of the township, iu 
the year 1835. Mr. Taylor's cabin was 
built on the southern edge of Salt river 
l)ottom a mile from the stream itself. 
Major was merely his given name and 
had no military bearing. He emigrated 
from Kentucky. 

In 1839, James Parker, of Delaware, 
settled on section 8 — 57 — 11, and Isaac 
Tobin, a Virginian, was near by. In 
1836 John Lewis settled on the north- 
west quarter of the same section, and iu 
1839, Captain Melson, a Kentuckian. lo- 



cated some four miles west of Lewis. It 
was at the home of Mr. Lewis the first 
class of the Methodist church was 
formed, on the northwest corner of sec- 
tion 8—57—11, in the fall of 1837. Here 
originated the Bacon Chapel church, 
Mr. Lewis and wife were the leaders. 
Others there were Stanford Drain 
and wife, Mrs. Margaret Moore, ]\Irs. 
Mary Parker, Mrs. Wailes and Mrs. 
Jane Parker, the wife of James Parker. 
It was in 1837 that Rev. James 
Pryor, of Ohio, held jtrotracted services 
at the home of Mr. Lewis. It was 
claimed he was the first Methodist 
preacher ever in Shelby. 

The township was organized in 1845, 
when the county was Whig, aud was 
named in honor of Henry Clay, whom 
his followers hailed as "gallant Harry 
of the West." Much of the land was in 
the hands of speculators for years, and 
little cultivation was done thereabout 
until after the Civil war. 

The little city of Clarence is here lo- 
cated, but is elsewhere fully mentioned. 
Here lies also Hager's Grove, section 
15 — 58 — 12 on Salt river. We also give 
it space elsewhere, but early history says 
tills site was ]iurchased of William P. 
Norton, of Ralls county, I)y Jobn Hager, 
hence the name. For awhile it had only 
a blacksmith shop, but in the sjiring of 
1857 Joseph and William Walker, ]^r. 
Pile and William P. Casey, emigrants 
from Iowa, bought a steam sawmill and 
])ut it iu o])eration at Hager's Grove. A 
Mr. Spauldiug ran a blacksmith shop at 
the same time. 

Later Thomas J. Blackburn estab- 
lished a small grocery store in a log 
house. His stock of trade, as it is told, 
was a small amount of cheese and crack- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



1-15 



ers, a small parcel of staples and a bar- 
rel of whiskey. Dr. Pile aud "William 
Walker died in a short time, and in Au- 
gust, 1859, G. L. and B. F. Smith bought 
Blackburn's stock and opened up a much 
improved and enlarged stock in Dr. 
Pile's two-story frame house. The 
Smith brothers had the village platted 
by County Surveyor Gray, and in 1859 a 
postoffice was established with B. F. 
Smith as postmaster. 

The Smith Brothers held forth until 
1861, when Morris Osborn joined part- 
nership with B. F. Smith, who survived 
until 1863, when war hard times came 
on and the goods was closed out at auc- 
tion. In 1866, John Patton and L. E. 
Irwin opened up a store and since that 
year it has always been a thriving trad- 
ing point. The old saw mill has been 
burned several times, but some of the 
original machinery is intact. 

Previous to the Civil war George 
Jones bought an interest in the old mill 
and added thereto a grist mill and dis- 
tillerj'. These were under the super- 
vision of the Jones brothers aud their 
father, John Jones, until during the war. 
During the life of the distillery, it is said 
the Grove was quite "brawlish." The 
mill has frequently changed hands. 

In 1873 an excellent church building 
was erected by the Christian denomina- 
tion, which still stands aud has a strong 
membership. 

Lentner is situated in the northeast 
corner of section 29 — 57 — 11, immediate- 
ly on the line between Clay and Salt 
river township, on the Hannibal & St. 
Joe railroad. The road at Lentner di- 
vides the townships, the westward being 
in Clay and to the east of Salt river. The 
depot is in Clay. This town was pre- 



viously called Crooked Creek, but later 
was uamed Lentner by John L. Lathrop, 
of Chicago, a large land holder in this 
township. 

Taylor Township. 

Taylor township was so named in 
honor of President Taylor. It com- 
prises the northwest portion of the town- 
ship and all of township 59, range 12, 
and the west half of township 59, range 
11. 

The land here for the most part is 
good soil and the central part is of ex- 
cellent prairie. In the eastern portion 
we find timbered land. In the western 
jiortion Salt river runs almost due north 
and south and along this stream the laud 
is somewhat broken. 

About the year 1837 Lewis, Alexander 
and Robert Gillaspy settled in Taylor, 
locating on Black Creek, in the south- 
east portion. About the same time, 
Mr. Steed located on section 29 — 59 — 11, 
nearly two miles east of Leonard, and 
Mr. Buckalew located in the western 
portion, a mile or more east of Salt river, 
on section 28—59—11, in 1839. Am- 
brose Perry also was a pioneer in this 
quarter. 

Thomas G. Poage moved from Paris, 
Monroe county, to section 18 — 59 — 12, 
in October, 1839. He was located in the 
northwestern portion, near the Macon 
line, and in a short time moved over into 
Macon. In those early days there lived 
in that quarter Samuel Vandiver, on 
Salt river, section 8. Griffeth D. Shel- 
ton lived on the bluff, in section 29, at 
the edge of Salt river bottom. Phil Up- 
ton, the murderer of Daniel Thomas, in 
section 28, a mile to the east of Shelton; 
Robert Nickell, a Virginian, to the west 



146 



HISTUIIY OF SHELBY LOUXTY 



of Salt river, ou section 18, near Xickell 
ford, year ISJiO. Robert Xickell did not 
sojourn long. One of his children choked 
to death on a piece of saucer, and the 
Nickell's longed for their old Virginian 
home and friends in the hour of their 
bereavement and soon sold out and re- 
turned to their native soil. 

Griffeth Shelton was a cooper and 
worked his trade for the benefit of his 
neighbors. He made buckets, tubs, 
churns from the cedar brought up from 
Ralls county, found in the Salt river 
hills. He was also a great hunter and 
killed scores of deer in the early days. 

In the spring of 1842 Benjamin F. Fore- 
man came up from Ralls county and 
bought Mr. Buckalew's farm, on the 
southwest quarter of section 21 — 59 — 12. 
Then there was Edwin Brensley, an En- 
glishman, on the northeast quarter of 
section 20, and he had as a neighbor 
Cyrus Saunders. Daniel Michaels lived 
to the center of section 28. William 
Mills lived in the northwest corner of the 
county. He it was that killed a man 
named Watson at Mills's own home by 
knocking him over the head with a dou- 
ble-barreled shotgun. He was acquitted 
on the ground of self-defense. Mills was 
a member of Glover's Third Missouri 
Cavalry and died in the Federal army. 

In the early setttlement days of Tay- 
lor the pioneers often had to go to Flor- 
ida, Mouroe county, to mill, as this coun- 
ty had not at that day a good established 
mill. In the year 1846 Benjamin Fore- 
man liought a liorse mill — a sweep mill — 
from a nuin by the name of Hargis, in 
the south part of the county and, moving 
it up on his farm, he run it a number of 
years. The settlers flocked here for miles 
about, each furnishing liis own team to 



do his work. A small yoke of steers at- 
tached furnished motive power for about 
three bushels an hour, but with his two 
good teams hitched thereto it would turn 
out about five bushels per hour. 

It ground both corn and wheat; the 
flour, however, had to be bolted by hand, 
liut though the system was a slow one, it 
made as good bread as the up-to-now 
machinery. Each customer was served 
in his turn, and some days the mill was 
so thronged the customers were delayed 
to the wee hours of morning. The toll 
rate was one-eighth of the grist. 

There was an abundance of game in 
this town.ship in her early days, it 
abounding along the river banks— bear, 
wolves and deer in great number. Bear 
creek was so named by hunters who 
killed a large bear of the black variety 
at the mouth of Bear river while hunt- 
ing. 

Judge Samuel Huston taught a school 
just over the line in Macon county in 
1841, and most of the children in that 
northwest corner were placed imder his 
tutorage. Jack Griffin taught another 
school close by. 

In 1840 religious services were held at 
the home of Thomas Poage. At that day 
the Old School Baptists were in the ma- 
jority. Two of the old veterans of this 
denomination were James Ratliffe and 
Ben Davis. Near the same time old Dr. 
Shultz of the Christian church was an 
active man in the cause he espoused. 

The first physicians who ]iracticed in 
this township were Dr. Long, of Sliolby- 
ville; Dr. Mills, of Bacon Chapel, and 
Dr. Edmunds. For years Shelbyville 
was their nearest jwstoffice, and for 
years Thouuis G. Poage was the dissemi- 
nator of news and intelligence, he taking 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



147 



the ouly newspapers thereabouts np to 
about 1845. Mr. Poage took the St. Louis 
Republican and Boone's Lick Democrat, 
and although these sheets would be 
about two weeks old before they would 
reach their destination, yet his house 
was considered headquarters for intelli- 
gence and news from the outside world, 
and Poage himself was a king bee. 

The first bridge over Salt river in this 
quarter was built by Benjamin Foreman 
in the spring of 1849 at the Ray ford. 
The flooring lumber was whip-sawed. 
The same year, John Swinney crippled 
himself by letting a chisel fall on his 



knee while building the Rollins bridge 
over Salt river. 

The hamlet of Leonard was formerly 
named Millersburg, by Adolphus Mil- 
ler, who built a mill there after the war. 
Its site is located on the northwest quar- 
ter of section 80 — 59 — 11, on Black 
creek. There are some ten or twelve 
stores, a bank and a postoffice. 

Cherry Box is also located in Taylor, 
a postoffice in the northwest portion of 
the township. The ])lace boasts of a gen- 
eral store, blacksmith shop, church and a 
good school and town hall. 



CHAPTER XII. 

Newspapers of Shelby County — The Shelbyville Spectator — The Shelby 
County "Weekly — The Shelby County Herald — The Shelby County Times 
— The SHELBY\aLLE Guard — The Shelbina Gazette — The Shelbina Index and 
Torchlight — The Shelbina Democrat — First Paper in Clarence — The 
Clarence Courier — The Clarence Repitblican — The Hunnewell Enter- 
prise — The Hunnewell Echo — The Enterprise Resumes Publication — The 
Hunnewell Bee — The Bethel Sun — The Missouri Sun. 



the shelbyville spectator. 

The first mail to make a newspaper 
venture in Shelby county was F. M. 
Daulton. He was editor, proprietor, 
publisher and "devil" all at one and the 
same time. The paper bore the name of 
The Shelbj-ville Spectator, and was 
published at the county seat. The ma- 
terial for the equipment of the plant was 
moved to Shell)yville from Old Bloom- 
ington, Macon county. The Spectator 
saluted the public in Shelby county in 
the early spring of 1853. It was Whig 
in politics, and in size and make-up was 
a six-column folio, or a four-page paper, 
of six columns to the page. Mr. Daulton 
had about 400 subscribers to his weekly 
periodical, and some of his advertisers 
were Thomas Applebury, McAfee & 
Dickerson, Cotton Bros, and James Mar- 
maduke. The office was located on the 
northwest corner of the square in a 
small frame building. In 1854 the pub- 
lisher formed a ])artnership witli James 
"Wolff, who bought tile material of the 
Hannibal Journal and added it to the 
Spectator equipment. The new ))ro- 
prietors had just got started in good 



shape when the entire office except a few 
cases of type were destroyed bj" fire. 
Enterprising and charitable citizens then 
made up money for the relief of the pub- 
lishers and Mr. Daulton went to St. 
Louis and purchased the material for 
reinstating the plant. The new plant 
was located in a small brick building on 
the northeast corner of the square be- 
longing to Mr. B. F. Dunn. 

Daulton soon after sold his interest to 
a school teacher by the name of James 
Carty, who soon died. Mr. "Wolff ran the 
paper only a short time thereafter until 
he died. 

The publication then fell into the 
hands of a man by the name of N. C. 
Sperry, who changed the name of the 
paper'to "The Star of the Prairie." The 
"Star," however, soon flickered out. The 
publisher was a worthless, shiftless sort 
of a fellow and finally left town without 
notifying his creditors of the time of his 
(lo])artuve or his destination. He left 
many unjjaid bills and but a few friends. 
The material was then moved to Mexico, 

:\io. 

]\lr. Daulton. Uu' founder, moved to 



148 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



149 



Gainesville, Ai'k., and for years jnib- 
lisbed a Democratic paper there. 

THE SHELBY COUNTY WEEKLY. 

In a short time after the ' ' Star of the 
Prairie" had faded from the newspaper 
skies, two men formed a partnership and 
started the publication of the "Shelby 
County Weekly." These men were Grif- 
fin Frost, a practical printer from Mex- 
ico, Mo., and Hon. G. Watts Hillias, a 
young lawyer of Shelbyville. The former 
was publisher, the latter editor of the 
new publication. 

The first paper published by this firm 
was issued on March 7, 1861. The office 
was located over Gooch's grocery store 
in Shelbyville. 

The material for the equipment of the 
plant was purchased in St. Louis in the 
fall of 1860, atid was transjiorted to Han- 
nil)al by boat. The river froze up before 
the steamer arrived at Hannibal and the 
publication was delayed until the next 
sjiring. 

Mr. Frost's brother, John, who later 
published the Quincy Daily News, and 
then the Clarence Courier, was the chief 
compositor on the ]3aper. A boy by the 
name of Henry De Jarnett was what was 
then termed the office "devil." 

The paper was a red-hot secession 
sheet and enjoyed a liberal advertising 
patronage and had about 500 subscrib- 
ers. The motto was : ' * Free as the Wind, 
Pure and Firm as the Voice of Nature, 
the Press Should Be." 

The pa]ier, however, did not survive 
long. It came into existence at a ])erilous 
time, about the outbreak of the Civil 
war. The firing of the first shot at Sum- 
ter was told in this publication, and the 
editors were such strong secessionists 



that in June of 1862 a few representa- 
tives of the Union Home Guards visited 
Mr. Frost and told him if he did not sus- 
pend the publication of his "treasonable 
sheet" they would stop it for him. He 
thereupon closed up the office and went 
to Marion county, and soon after entered 
in the Southern army under Martin E. 
Green. Mr. Frost was captain of the 
Marion county company. He saw four 
years' service, two of which were spent 
in a Federal prison. After the war he 
published a volume entitled "Prison 
Life and Recollections." He then went 
to Edina and established the Edina Dem- 
ocrat, and died only a few years ago. 
The "Weekly" office was locked up for a 
time. During the war Union soldiers 
threw most of the material into the street 
and the remainder was shipped to Mary- 
ville, Missouri. 

THE SHELBY COUNTY HEEALD. 

In 1871 W. L. Willard & Bro. pur- 
chased a part of the Shafer-York plant 
at Shelbina and moved the outfit to Shel- 
bj^ille. Colonel York took the remain- 
der to Independence, Kansas, where he 
conducted a paper for several years. The 
Willards changed the politics again, 
making the paper Greenback. The pa- 
per was first Democratic, then Republi- 
can, later Greenback, again Repubhcan, 
then back to its mother jjolitics, or Dem- 
ocratic. Jime 15, 1881, the plant was 
sold to F. M. Springsteen and H. B. Da- 
vis, Mr. Willai'd going to Edina and 
founded a Greenback publication. The 
new partnershiji guided the doctrines of 
The Herald jointly until March, 1883, 
when Springsteen retired. Mr. Davis 
continued the publication until January 
of 1888, at which time Prof. W. R. Holli- 



150 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



day purchased the plant and turned it 
politically from a Greenback to a Eepub- 
licau organ. The paper preached the 
doctrine of Eepublieauism for about one 
year and a half, until June, 1889, when it 
went into the hands of Joseph Doyle, 
who, although nominally making- the pa- 
per Democratic, ran the paper as a 
strictly local newspaper and paid very 
little attention to politics. As a local pa- 
per, the Herald has from its founda- 
tion been what might be called the official 
county paper. It gives the County court 
jn-oceedings regularly, as well as the 
Probate court dockets and devotes much 
space to Circuit court matters. Mr. 
Doyle guided the destinies of the Her- 
ald until August, 1905. He then sold 
to C. L. Enuis, who stayed in control im- 
til the fall of 1905, when Mr. Doyle again 
became editor. The pa]ier continued un- 
der Mr. Doyle's control this time until 
October, 1907. Mr. Doyle then sold to 
Ennis brothers, Carl and Joshua, two 
sons of the former editor, who conducted 
the paper until February, 1910. Mr. 
Doyle then came into control for the 
third time and remained the owner and 
editor until November, 1910. The paper 
then went into the hands of C. E. Wailes, 
the present efficient owner. 

THE SHELBY COUNTY TIMES. 

J. R. Horn, the founder of the Hun- 
newell Echo, concluded he wanted a 
larger field and that instead of being 
simply an echo he wanted to be the "big 
noise." He therefore moved his plant 
from Hunnewell to the county seat and 
on February 1, 1881, he sent out the first 
issue of the Shelby County Times, an 
eight-column Democratic paper. 



THE SHELBYVTLLE GUARD. 

E. D. Tingle founded this publication 
at the county seat in May, 1892, but soon 
sold to J. T. Welsh, who in September, 
1893, sold a half interest to B. F. Glahu. 
In April, 1893, E. P. Dunn purchased the 
plant and continued as editor and owner 
until May, 1898, at which time he failed 
and made an assignment. Perry Clag- 
gett, who held the mortgage, was made 
the assignee, and in the same month sold 
the plant to E. J. Spencer, who remained 
in charge for only a short time, and in 
June sold the property to W. A. Dim- 
mitt. Mr. Dimmitt held the property 
until January, 1902, when he sold to 
Starrett & Hayward. These men con- 
tinued the publication until November, 
1902, when they sold back to W. A. Dim- 
mitt. The latter continued publication 
until fire destroyed the building and the 
plant. The plant was a total loss, as the 
owner had no insurance, and besides the 
loss of material lost all his book and sub- 
scription accoimts. 

SHELBIXA GAZETTE. 

The first issue of the Shelbina Ga- 
zette was sent out on January 10. 
186(5. This was the first paper published 
in Shelbina. The full name of this pub- 
lication was "The Weekly Gazette." The 
founder and i)ublisher was an Illinoisan 
by the name of J. D. Moudy, a conserva- 
tive Democrat. 

The Gazette was a seven-column folio. 
The office was on Center street in the 
Goodman block. In April, 1866, just 
four months after the founding of the 
publication, Mr. Moudy sold out to his 
foreman, E. D. Hoselton. Mr. Hoselton 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



151 



oouducted the paper single handed until 
in the fall, when he sold a half interest to 
J. S. Bates, who soon sold to Frank M. 
Daulton, the original newspaper man of 
Shelby county. 

Later Daulton became sole owner, but 
soon after sold the entire plant to 
Colonel Shafer and A. M. York, who 
turned the paper into a Republican pub- 
lication. At this time the name of the 
paper was also changed to "The Shelby 
County Herald." 

THE SHELBINA INDEX AND TORCHLIGHT. 

Yv'illiam N. Bumbarger and H. P. Mc- 
Eoberts were the founders of this publi- 
cation and the first edition of volume 
number one came from the press July 
13, 1881. In January, 1882, Simpson 
bought out McRoberts, and a year later 
N. H. Downing became the sole proprie- 
tor and editor. Dr. J. M. McCully be- 
came half owner on March 1, 1884, and 
Jul}" 1st following the firm became Mc- 
Cully & Christie, C. W. Christie buying 
Downing 's interest. In 1885, Dr. Mc- 
Cully sold his interest to his partner. 
The latter failed in a few months and 
the property again went into the hands 
of Dr. McCully. In the fall of 1885 Mc- 
Cully sold the property to William Ma- 
son, who chan^'ed the name of the paper 
to "The Shelbina Torchlight." Mr. Ma- 
son died in about a year and the publi- 
cation was resumed by his sons, Harry 
and George, until January, 1889, at 
which time the ownership passed into 
the hands of A. L. Roe and Prof. E. L. 
Cooley. In April, 1891, Roe purchased 
his partner's interest and became sole 
proprietor. In August 189.3, the Torch- 
light again changed hands, this time go- 
ing into the possession of Naeter & Has- 



kins. The new owners were young and 
ambitious and printed a good paper full 
of local news. They remained in charge 
until November, 1897, when they trans- 
ferred the ownership to Rev. W. W. Mc- 
Murry. In December, 1900, Mr. Mc- 
Murry sold to Cleek & AVilliams. This 
firm lasted until September, 1902. Mr. 
Williams then bought his partner's in- 
terest and became the sole proprietor. 
Mr. Williams sold a half interest to J. E. 
Thrasher, and in May, 1904, the publica- 
tion was sold to P. B. Dunn, Jr. Mr. 
Dunn conducted the paper until March, 
1907, at which time he sold out to C. J. 
Colburn. Mr. Colburn remained as edi- 
tor until May, 1908, when he sold a half 
interest to N. E. Williams, and in De- 
cember following Mr. Williams became 
the sole owner again and is the present 
owner and editor. Mr. Williams is a 
man of good judgment and an able 
writer. He is a pronounced prohiliition- 
ist and always stands for the clean and 
honest achniuistration of public affairs. 

THE SHELBINA DEMOCRAT. 

On April 1, 1869, E. D. Hoseltou, 
former owner and editor of the Shelbina 
Gazette, establislied The Shelbina Demo- 
crat. This publication was an all home 
print, seven-column folio, or four page 
paper. 

In 1870 Col. S. A. Rawlings became a 
partner in the publication of the paper. 
The latter was a Virginian and came to 
Shelby county in 1848. He died Septem- 
ber 28, 1875. During the Civil war 
Colonel Rawlings served on the Confed- 
erate side and organized and com- 
manded the Third Battalion of Infantiy, 
Harris Division, Missouri State Guards. 

After the death of Colonel Rawlings 



152 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Judge James C. Hale assumed editorial 
charge of the jiaper and remained at the 
heku until in May, 1881, when the pres- 
ent owner, Col. W. .L. Jewett became 
a partner with Mr. Hoselton. Mr. Jew- 
ett at this time was a young lawyer of 
more than ordinary ability and had dis- 
tinguished himself as a public speaker 
and campaigner. He was a determined, 
aggressive editor, just the kind the times 
demanded, and he soon established a 
reputation as a writer. The firm of Ho- 
selton & Jewett remained in control of 
the paper until November 4, 1891, when 
the senior partner, Mr. Hoselton, sold 
his interest to J. AV. Cox, a brother-in- 
law of Mr. Jewett 's. This finn contin- 
ued to publish the Democrat until July 
31, 1901, at which time Mr. Jewett pur- 
chased the interest of his partner, Mr. 
Cox. Colonel Jewett has been the sole 
owner and editor since the above date. 
Hon. "\V. 0. L. Jewett is today the father 
of the newspaper fraternity of Shelby 
count}'. Although advancing in years, 
he is recognized as one of the most force- 
ful writers in the State. He is a fearless 
defender of what he believes to be right 
and is generally on the right side of all 
questions. He takes great pride in pro- 
moting the city in which he lives and is 
also patriotic to his county and state. 
The Democrat, under Colonel Jewett, 
takes the lead on all public spirited ques- 
tions. The agitation for a new court 
house was started b^' the Democrat. 
as was also the electric light proposition 
at Shelbina, as well as many other 
smaller and less important enterprises. 
The "Democrat" is now taking the lead 
on the water works proposition and it is 
only a question of a few months until 
the venerable editor will behold the 



fruits of his labors in that direction. The 
Democrat is democratic in jiolitics, is- 
sued Wednesday of each week and to- 
day is a home-print, six column quarto. 
The pajjer is printed on a cylinder press, 
run by a gasoline engine. The type is 
set by a Junior Mergenthaler. The pa- 
per is up-to-date in every respect, and 
'Slv. Jewett has proven to the community 
that the pen is mightier than the sword 
from the fact that he has made the 
Democrat so strong a factor in the 
development of Shelby county and 
northeast Missouri. In December, 1910, 
Mr. Jewett leased the jiaper to his two 
sons, H. H. and E. AV. Jewett, who took 
charge January 1, 1911. This ended the 
newspaper career of one of the pioneer 
newspaper men of the state. 

FIRST PAPER IX CLARENCE. 

A man by the name of Steel was the 
first adventurer in the newspa^ier busi- 
ness in Clarence. This daring act was 
committed in 1877, and his product of 
the press was called "The Clarence 
Tribune." The paper was at first 
printed in Macon City, but later moved 
to Clarence and located over the post- 
office. The policy of the paper was neu- 
tral in politics. Mr. Steel conducted the 
paper about two years and then aban- 
doned the field. 

THE CLARENCE COLTIIER. 

The second adventurer in the news- 
paper field in Clarence was W. M. Brad- 
ley, who founded "The Clarence Cou- 
rier" in February, 1881. The founder 
conducted the paper for the space of a 
little over a year, and in May, 1882, sold 
to "\V. D. Powell, who remained as the 
editor and owner until August, 188-4, 



PIISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



153 



at which date he sold the plant to John 
L. Frost, who had been in the newspaper 
business in Quinej', and N. H. Downing, 
formerly of the "Shelbina Index," who 
soon after sold to Frost and moved 
to California. Mr. Frost was a 
good newspaper man, but died No- 
vember 22, 1888, and the establish- 
ment was sold to S. E. Lloyd and 
J. E. Asbury in January, 1889. The 
latter did not remain in the partnership 
long. Mr. Lloyd continued with the pub- 
lication, however, until July of 189-t. The 
present owner, H. J. Simmons, and G. 
L. Frost then bought the plant. This 
partnership lasted less than a year, and 
Mr. Simmons then became the sole owner 
and editor. In 1898 W. M. Pritchard 
purchased a half interest in the paper 
and a cylinder press was installed. This 
firm continued the business until June, 
1900, at which time Simmons again be- 
came the sole owner and leased a half 
interest to his brother-in-law, Edward 
B. Grant. The paper was issued under 
the firm name of Simmons & Grant. The 
ownership has not changed since Sim- 
mons bought out Pritchard, but at Mr. 
Grant's death in July, 1910, a half inter- 
est was leased to Enoch W. Eagland, 
and the paper is now being published by 
the firm of Simmons & Eagland. The 
paper is issued Wednesdays of each 
week and is an all home print, six-col- 
umn quarto. It is Democratic in politics 
and has at all times labored for the im- 
provement and advancement of the city, 
county and state. 

THE CLARENCE REPUBLICAN. 

At the present time this is the only 
Eepubiican paper i)ublished in the 
countv. Its existence dates back to 1889, 



October 2ud. O. P. Devin was the 
founder, but soon turned the office over 
to V. V. Peters, who conducted the paper 
until August, 1891, when George B. 
Klingenbeil became the publisher. The 
latter held the editorial chair only a few 
months and relinquished the manage- 
ment to A. L. Jordan, who remained at 
the desk until November, 1893, when he 
turned the plant over to E. T. Jones, a 
young lawyer who lived in the city. 
Jones held control until May, 189-t. 
James S. Watkins then became the edi- 
tor and continued the publication until 
1895, when E. N. Shanks, the present 
owner, took charge. Newland Shanks 
conducted the paper a few months in 
1904, but soon turned the paper back to 
his father. In 1895 Mr. Shanks changed 
the name of the publication to the 
"Farmer's Favorite" and in 1896 sus- 
pended publication. He, however, re- 
sumed publication again in 1897 and the 
paper is now being published by Shanks 
& Son, the junior member of the firm 
])eing E. Elma Shanks. In 1910 the pol- 
icy of the paper was changed to an inde- 
pendent Eepubiican. The jjaper is a six- 
column quarto, patent inside, and is pro- 
gressive and a good local paper. 

THE HUNNEWELL ENTERPRISE. 

The newspaper fever struck Hunne- 
well in 1882. That year Thos. Irons es- 
tablished the "Hunnewell Enterprise." 
The fever soon subsided and on January 
10, 1883, the "Enterprise" suspended 
publication. 

THE HUNNEWELL ECHO. 

J. E. Horn established the second pa- 
per in Hunnewell. He called it the 
"Hunnewell Echo," which was Demo- 



15i 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



cratic in politics. Mr. Horn published 
the paper in Hunnewell until January, 

1884, when he moved it to Shelby ville. 

THE ENTERPRISE RESUMES PUBLICATION. 

Thomas Irons resumed publication of 
the "Enterprise" again in December, 

1885, but only lasted a few months and 
again suspended. 

THE HUNNEWELL BEE. 

In September a fourth venture was 
made in the newspaper business at Hun- 
newell. This time it was by Eld. J. T. 
Craig, who turned the "Bee" loose on 
the inhabitants of this village Septem- 
ber 10, 1890. He later sold to J. J. Heif- 
ner and returned to the pulpit. Mr. 
Heifner conducted the paper until 1893, 
when he sold to Albert Blackburn, who 
changed the name of the paper to 

"the HUNNEWELL GRAPHIC." 

In March, 1894, the "Graphic" passed 
into the hands of 0. P. Sturm, who re- 
mained in charge until August. 1895. 
Sturm then moved to Malta Bend, Mo., 
and engaged in teaching school. He 
turned the paper over to his brother. 



George W. Sturm. In May, 1896, the 
plant was sold to J. H. Orr. Mr. Orr 
sold a half interest in a few weeks to 
E. J. Spencer, and in July, 1896, bought 
his partner's interest back. In Septem- 
ber, 1897, the pi'esent owner, A. B. Dun- 
lap, became the editor and owner, and 
has greatlj' improved the paper, which 
has been such a strong factor in the de- 
velopment and advancement of the city. 
The pajjer is independent in politics. 

THE BETHEL SUN. 

The above publication was launched 
upon the newspaper seas in the year 
1896. Tlie person who first made the 
"Sun" shine in Bethel was C. S. Ward. 
He sold to Joe Miller, who soon trans- 
ferred the plant to S. M. Bohon, who in 
turn sold to W. A. Dimmitt. The plant 
was not a paying proposition and was 
discontinued in 1901. 



Eev. D. A. Bx'own, a Christian preach- 
er, and C. S. Ward, in August, 1897, 
started a i)aper in Leonard called the 
"Missouri Sun." "The Sun," however, 
soon went into a total eclipse and has not 
been seen in the newspaper skies since. 



CHAPTEE XIII. 

Some Shelby County Murders and Suicides — William Switzer Murdered in 1864 
— Pat McCarty Assassinated — The Bufoed Tragedy — Murder of Nicholas 
Brandt — Judge Joseph Hunolt Assassinated — A Leonard Tragedy — Shel- 
BiNA Mayor Dies Suddenly — M. Lloyd Cheuvront Shot — Suicide at Clarence 
— The Stacy Murder and Suicide — Suicide at Clarence. 



WM. switzer murdered in 1864. 

Mr. William B. Switzer, a merchant 
of Clarence, then a village, was mur- 
dered by a band of robbers from Macon 
in the fall of 1864. It seems Mr. Switzer 
was custodian of some money made up 
by certain of the citizens to hire substi- 
tutes in case any of them were drafted. 
They made their raid one night, just a 
day too late, as the funds were sent to 
Shelbyville for safety just the day be- 
fore. ]\Ir. Switzer was called to the door 
by four men on horseback, who, when he 
apjjeared, demanded his money. Mr. 
Switzer, who had taken his revolver with 
him, opened fire and a volley came back 
in answer, one shot taking effect in his 
hip, severing his femoral artery, caus- 
ing death in a few minutes. Mr. Switzer 
was a respected citizen and while he 
never took up arms he was known as a 
Southern sympathizer. The robbers 
were Macon countians; one never was 
apprehended, another turned state's evi- 
dence, in which John Roland was said 
to be the one that fired the fatal shot. 
He was bound over, escaped and for- 
feited his ))ond. All were ex-Federal 
militiamen. 



pat m caety assassinated. 

Pat McCarty, a i)rominent citizen of 
Clarence, was the proj^rietor of a steam 
mill, which property he had purchased 
from its founder, Mr. Wilson. Mr. 
McCarty was a man of many friends and 
many enemies. He was a jolly, whole- 
souled man and one who cherished his 
home. On the night of October 6, 1874, 
Mr. McCarty was seated near a window 
in his sitting room, where he had been 
fondling his child on his knee. He had 
just put down his little one and taken 
up a newspaper when an assassin fired 
through the window a heavy charge of 
bird shot, which penetrated his body, 
killing him instantly. A coroner's jury 
was impaneled by Esquire Scates and a 
few days' investigation ensued, without 
important results. No clue was ever ob- 
tained as to the identity of the perpe- 
trator. Suspicion ran rife, much of it 
no doubt uujust, but as the victim of a 
stealthy coward was he shot down before 
his loved ones. 

the buford tragedy. 

On Monday, October 26, 1885, occurred 
one of the worst tragedies in the history 



155 



156 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



of Shelby couuty. Joliu Buford shot 
and killed his father, William Buford, 
and also seriously wounded his brother, 
AYilliam Buford. The tragedy occurred 
at the Buford home, near Burksville, in 
Tiger Fork township. The elder Buford 
lived only a short time after the shooting 
occurred. 

At the preliminary hearing one of the 
main witnesses gave the following testi- 
mony regarding the facts relative to the 
shooting: "On Sunday evening John 
and his father had a ciuarrel about a colt 
that had been kicked ; John said he had 
fixed up the stable and he would blow 
daylight through any person who would 
put a horse in there ; said he was going 
to have his rights. John and his father 
went to the house; soon after this John 
started off. His father said, 'Where are 
you going?' John replied, 'Wait till I 
see you again. I'll see you before day- 
light and put daylight through you and 
those other two d — d pups. ' ' ' The next 
morning witness' attention was attract- 
ed by his little sister pulling his coat and 
saying, "See there." He looked up and 
saw John in the door of the sitting room 
with a double-barrelled shotgun, which 
he aimed at his younger brother, Will- 
iam. Witness started as though to go 
through the door, passed under the gun 
and pushed it up. His father just then 
probably aimed' to do the same thing, 
ran against witness and threw him down 
against the bed. As he raised up the 
gun was discharged, taking effect in the 
top of his father's head and some of 
the shot striking witness' arm between 
the elbow and shoulder. The witness did 
not hear John speak a word while in the 
house. John left after the shooting 
and was arrested a week later at the 



home of 'Scjuire E. D. Wood, in Tiger 
Fork township. John's anxiety to hear 
from home led to his capture. Monday 
night, about 10 o'clock, he appeared at 
the home of 'Squire AVood, about a mile 
from the Buford farm, and tapped on 
the window to attract attention, and 
asked one of the young men on the in- 
side how his folks were getting along at 
home. 'Squire Wood, who was upstairs 
in bed, hurried downstairs and around 
the house, taking with him a shotgun. 
He raised his gun and told John to 
throw up his hands, which the latter did 
reluctantly. One of the 'Squire's sons 
next appeared and disarmed young Bu- 
ford, who was then led into the house 
and gaiarded until Sheriff Dun arrived 
and took him in charge. 

The ]5reliminary hearing was held in 
Shelbyville on November 11 of the same 
year, before 'Stpiire Melson. R. P. 
Giles represented the state and James T. 
Lloyd, the defendant. The defendant 
was committed to jail to await the action 
of the gr&nd jury. On Friday following 
he was taken to Palmyra and placed in 
jail for safekeeping. 

The Buford case came up at the April 
term of the Circuit court, 1886, and was 
set for trial at a special term to be held 
commencing August 1st following. The 
case was then tried, R. P. Giles repre- 
senting the state and Judge Berry and 
Lysander Thomjison the defendant. The 
verdict of the jury was that the defend- 
ant was guilty of murder in the second 
degree. The attorneys for the defend- 
ant filed a motion for a new trial on the 
ground that one member of the jury of 
twelve, before whom the case was tried, 
was too sick to proi)erly hear the evi- 
dence, and that one member of the forty 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



157 



panel had formed and expressed an 
opinion. The hearing- on this motion 
was postponed until the October term 
of court, at whicli time Judge Brace 
heard and overruled the motion, and 
sentenced the defendant to thirty years 
in tlie penitentiary. Mr. Buford was 
taken to the penitentiary, where he 
stayed until pardoned by Governor Ste- 
plieus on December 25, 1897. He then 
returned to the county, but remained 
here only a short time and is at tliis 
date living- in the state of Washington. 

MUEDEE OF NICHOLAS BEANDT. 

The town of Shelbina was thrown into 
intense excitement, mingled with indig- 
nation and horror, on Wednesday, No- 
vember 16, 1887, by the report that the 
body of a man had been found in a well 
near a log cabin on the A^incent Taylor 
farm, six miles west of the town. It was 
believed that tlie remains were those of 
Nicholas Brandt, who had been missing 
and was supposed to have been mur- 
dered. Brandt was a hard-working, in- 
offensive German, and was by trade a 
lioop-pole shaver. It was known that 
the deceased had a large amount of 
money, mostly gold, in his possessibn. 
Henry Deiderich was arrested the after- 
noon of the same day in St. Louis and 
accused of the murder. Sheriff Sanders 
went to St. Louis after the accused and 
returned witli him on the following Fri- 
day. Two other parties were arrested 
in connection with the crime — a Mr. 
Dallhousen, wlio was placed in jail at 
Slielbyville, and Albert Anselman, of 
Lakenan, who was admitted to $500 bail. 
The ]n"eliminary trial was held l)efore 
'Squire J. 1). Jordan in Shelbina, begin- 
ning Friday morning, December 9. 1887. 



The cases against Dallhousen and An- 
selman were dismissed by Prosecuting 
Attorney R. P. Giles and Deiderich was 
bound over to the grand jury. Mr. Dei- 
derich was brought before the bar of 
justice in the Circuit court on Monday, 
April 9, 1888, and pleaded not guilty. 
He was returned to the jail to await his 
trial, but with another prisoner by the 
name of McDonald broke jail tliat eve- 
ning and is still at large. 

JUDGE JOSEPH HUNOLT ASSASSINATED. 

Judge Hunolt was perhaps the largest 
land owner and one of the wealthiest 
citizens of the county. He owned over 
2,300 acres of land northeast of Eager 's 
Grove and was a large feeder and raiser 
of stock. Mr. Hunolt was of German 
parentage, and was one of those honest, 
industrious and thrifty individuals who 
lead the community in which they reside. 

Politically the Judge was a Democrat. 
Religiously he was a Catholic and it was 
largely through his efforts and gener- 
osity that the little Catholic church was 
erected, which still stands upon the prai- 
rie road between Hager's Grove and 
Leonard. 

On Friday, June 4, 1886, between the 
hours of five and six o'clock in the after- 
noon, Judge Hunolt departed from 
Leonard on horseback for his home 
about four miles south of the village. 
He had been at Clarence the day before 
and had drawn $500 from the bank. On 
his way to the farm he passed George 
Hardy, whom he met in the road and 
talked with a short time. He passed 
from the road into his farm through a 
gap which he made for that purpose, 
and after replacing the fence rode on 
into the timber. 



158 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Sam Roberts was working on a fence 
about eighty rods from where tlie Judge 
passed through the iuclosure, aud heard 
three shots in rapid succession, followed 
by a scream as of someone in terrible 
distress. Andy Hilton, who lived half 
a mile west, also heard the reports of the 
firearm, but heard no outcry. 

As the Judge did not return to his 
home that night as was expected, the 
Hunolt family became alamied and the 
next morning one of the sons was sent 
to Leonard to learn of his father's 
whereabouts. Here he was informed of 
the time of his father's departure from 
Leonard and the route he took. The 
alarm was given and many persons 
joined in a search for the Judge. The 
place where he entered the pasture was 
located and his horse was traced through 
the timber to a small ravine. Here the 
horse was found tied to a tree and the 
remains of Judge Hunolt lying upon the 
ground about sixty feet away. Two 
lialls took effect. One entered the left 
side of the body and passed inward and 
nearly through the body, the other 
l)assed through the palm of one hand 
and into the arm. The Judge's throat 
was also cut, the head being nearly sev- 
ered from the liody. A coroner's inquest 
was held before 'Squire Stewart, of 
Leonard, and the body removed to the 
family residence before Prosecuting At- 
torney Giles and the county coroner 
reached the scene of the awful tragedy. 

Thousands of persons visited the scene 
of the murder on Sunday and over a 
thousand attended the funeral, which 
was lield at the Catholic church on ^Mon- 
day. The remains still sleep beneath the 
l)lue grass and in tlie little Catholic ceme- 



tery. A beautiful monument marks the 
resting ]>lace of the Judge's remains. 

The Hunolt family consisted of, be- 
sides the father and mother, two sons, 
Christopher and Antony, and two daugh- 
ters, Mrs. Annie "Worland and Mi-s. Sa- 
lome Ploruback, the former the wife of 
J. G. "Worland, of Hager's Grove, and 
the latter the widow of the late C. H. 
Hornback. 

After the murder of Judge Hunolt 
every effort was made to ferret out the 
mystery. The local ])eace officers were 
kept busy aud two Pinkerton detectives 
were employed. On Thursday, June 10, 
following the murder, the detectives 
thought they had sufficient evidence to 
justify an arrest and a warrant was 
sworn out by Christopher Hunolt, a 
brother of the murdered man, charging 
Joseph Glahn with committing the atro- 
cious crime. Thereupon Sheriff Dunn 
placed the accused under arrest. ^Ir. 
Glahn was taken before 'Squire J. D. 
Melson, of Shelbyville, aud on Thursday, 
June 17, the preliminary hearing was 
had and the accused was bound over to 
the grand jury and conmiitted to the Pal- 
myra jail. On Monday, October 18, 1886, 
the Shelby county grand jury brought in 
a bill against Joseph Glahn and Chris- 
tian Glahn, his brother, charging them 
with the murder of Judge Hunolt. The 
case against these men was called on the 
April docket, 1887, and on April 4 of 
that year the case against Christian 
Glahn was dismissed by the prosecuting 
attorney and the case of Josejih N. 
Glahn was granted a change of venue on 
the testimony of nine witnesses who 
stated under oath that the defendant 
could not get a fair trial in Shelbv countv 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



159 



on account of prejudice. Judge Bacon sent 
the case to Monroe county and the case 
was docketed for a special term at Paris 
the following June. The trial com- 
menced in Paris on Monday, June 20. 
The state had one hundred witnesses on 
hand and the defense had fifty. The 
trial lasted five weeks and resulted in a 
hung jury. The jury was discharged 
July 23, 1887. The defendant was re- 
turned to the Palmyra jail. The case 
was set for re-trial on Novemlier 8tli 
following. At this trial, which lasted 
until December 8th, the jury found the 
defendant guilty of murder in the first 
degree. The defendant's attorneys im- 
meiliately filed a motion for a new trial. 
The motion was overruled and the at- 
torneys for the defendant filed a motion 
in arrest of judgment. The second Mon- 
day in February, 1888, was set for hear- 
ing the arguments on this motion. On 
Monday, February 20, 1888, the argu- 
ment was made and the motion over- 
ruled. Judge Bacon then delivered the 
following sentence: "The sentence of 
the court is that you, Joseph N. Glahn, 
on Friday, the sixth day of April, 1888, 
at the county jail of Monroe county, be- 
tween the hours of 9 o'clock A. M. and 
5 o'clock P. M. of that day, he hanged 
by the neck until you are dead." A stay 
of execution was granted and an appeal 
taken to the Supreme court. ^Ir. Glahn 
was then returned to the Palmyra jail 
and on August 16, 1888, there was a jail 
delivery at that place. Fourteen pris- 
oners esca]ied out of twenty-eight con- 
fined, (ilalm was the only one accused 
of murder, yet he refused to go. 

At the January term of the Supreme 
court the case for a new trial was argued 



and on Wednesday, April 17, Judge Ba- 
con admitted Mr. Glahn to bail, fixing 
his bond at $7,000. The bond was 
])rom])tly made and after nearly three 
years' coniinement the accused man was 
once more allowed his liberty. At the 
October term of the Supreme court 
Judge Black rendered a decision, which 
was concurred in by all the judges, ex- 
cept Judge Barclay,'reversing the lower 
court, and sending the case back to Mon- 
roe county for a new trial. The case 
was reversed on the ground tiiat Instruc- 
tion No. 7, asked by the defense, was re- 
fused. This instruction read as follows : 
"That although the jury may believe 
from the evidence in the case that de- 
fendant made threats or declarations of 
intentions against deceased, Joseph 
Ilunolt, before bis death, yet if upon a 
full review and consideration of all the 
evidence in the cause they shall conclude 
there is no evidence connecting defend- 
ant with the assault and killing of de- 
ceased, Joseph Hunolt, other than such 
threats or declarations, then they will 
find defendant not guilty." The long- 
pending case was brought up in the Mon- 
roe county Circuit court again on Mon- 
day, , 1889, and dismissed. 

This ends one of the darkest cha]3ters in 
Shelby county 's history. 

A LEONARD TRAGEDY. 

On Sunday, September 1, 1888, a 
farmer named Andrew Howerton, living 
in the northwest part of Shelby, near 
Leonard, shot his wife dead, the ball en- 
tering the head back of the left ear. He 
then shot himself through the head, fall- 
ing near his wife dead. The couple had 
married in F('l)ruary in the same year. 



160 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Domestic infelicity was assigned as the 
cause, the couple liaving- separated sev- 
eral times. 

SHELBINA MAYOR DIES SUDDENLY. 

On Friday morning of November 10, 
1890, the city of Shelbina was shocked 
to learn they had, during the night, been 
rolibed of their mayor, John D. Jordan. 
He had l)eeu on the street the evening 
before, apparently as well as ever. 
About 10 or 11 o'clock his wife noticed 
something imusual in his breathing and 
tried to arouse him, but failing in this 
she summoned a physician. A battery 
was used and in this manner life was 
prolonged until 4 o'clock Friday morn- 
ing. It is thought he took a large dose 
of laudanum, which caused his death. 
He had held several city offices and made 
an efficient mayor. He was a Mason and 
Odd Fellow. 

M. LLOYD CHEUVRONT SHOT. 

On Friday evening about 9 o'clock 
of July 22, 1897, three cracks of a pistol 
in the eastern part of the city, Walnut 
street, of Shelbina, announced to the 
people of that vicinity the murder of a 
citizen of good character, inoffensive and 
])eaeeable, Mr. Cheuvront, by Tol Smock. 
The ladies of the Christian church were 
Imlding an ice cream supper in the city 
jiark. ^Ir. Cheuvront, who was very 
deaf, left liis wife at the park while he 
went out for a walk. It seems Mrs. Tol 
Smock, who was fair of face, in company 
with Miss Nellie Hopper, of Clarence 
vicinity, who was attending a teachers' 
institute and boarding with Mrs. Smock, 
had started home just ahead of Mr. 
Cheuvront and rushed into her home on 
the south side, near the east end of Wal- 



nut, and told her husband how Mr. 
Cheuvront had followed them home. Mr. 
Smock grabbed his pistol, rushed out 
and encountered Mr. Cheuvront just in 
front of his home, knocked him down and 
shot three times, the fatal shot taking 
effect in his bowels. Mr. Cheuvront lin- 
gered till seven the following morning, 
during which time he told his wife, two 
sous and friends about him, how it oc- 
curred and made plans for his family's 
future, remaining conscious to the end. 
Mr. Smock took change of venue and his 
case was tried in Macon county, Decem- 
ber, 1897. J. H. Whitecotton, of Paris, 
Mo., was leading attorney for the defense 
and Prosecuting Attorney Cleek had 
valuable assistance. A good many wit- 
nesses were sworn on both sides. The 
state sought to prove that Mr. Cheuvront 
was a man of unquestionable christian 
and moral character. The jury hung 
after a hard fight on both sides, four 
standing solidly and determinedly for 
conviction. The trial was taken up 
again at the Macon Circuit court and all 
the witnesses re-examined, and the de- 
fendant found guilty of manslaughter 
and punishment fixed at six months in 
jail and a fine of $100. The Macon 
Times-Democrat said this among other 
things concerning the verdict: "The 
verdict is an outrage upon this com- 
munity and it is just such mockery as 
this that disgusts the peoi)le with juries 
and courts and causes them to take the 
law into their own hands and mete out 
justice." 

SUICIDE AT CLARENCE. 

On Sunday morning, December 17, 
1899, Mrs. George W. Chinn. wife of 
Hon. George W. Chinn, rejiresentative 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



161 



from Shelby county to the Missouri leg- 
islature at that time, committed suicide 
by cutting her throat. The deed was 
committed while Mr. Chinn was at Sun- 
day school and life was almost extinct 
when he reached home. Indications were 
that she committed the act standing be- 
fore a mirror and using a common case 
knife. Poor health was assigned as the 
cause. 

THE STACY MUEDEE AND SUICmE. 

Wednesday morning, June 5, 1901, 
James Stacy killed his wife and their 
daughter, Alma, and then shot himself. 

Mr. Stacy lived a mile west of Clar- 
ence and had had charge of the pumping 
station at that location for many years 
for the railroad. It was supposed he 
arose early, as usual, proceeded to his 
work, started a fire in the boiler and then 
returned to his home and killed the 
women while they lay sleeping. The 
deed was committed with a heavy clock 
weight and each woman received the 
death blow over the left temple. His 
young son was in the house at the time, 
but was taken out of the bed and de- 
posited on a lounge while asleep. He 
then went downstairs, got his single-bar- 
reled shotgun and started out the back 
door, but just as he opened the door he 
met his married daughter and told her 
what he had done, went back into the 
house and shot himself. 

Those who arrived on the scene of the 
tragedy say that there was no indication 
of a struggle. The women were lying as 
if asleep. It was supj^osed ]\Ir. Stacy 
was insane when he committed the rash 
deed. The funeral and interment took 
place Thursday afternoon following and 
the three bodies were interred in one 



grave. Over a thousand people were at 
the cemetery to witness the burial. Mr. 
Stacy was a Mason in good standing and 
was buried with Masonic rites. 

SUICIDE AT CLAKENCE. , 

On Friday morning, July 21, 1905, at 
10 A. M., the city of Clarence was thrown 
into a stage of excitement when tlie 
strange news s^jread over the city that 
J. Eobert Hord had committed suicide 
by shooting himself in a chicken house 
near his home. No one heard the report 
of the pistol, but his daughter and a 
neighbor were in chase for a chicken, 
the daughter following the chicken into 
the chicken house. As she threw open 
the door she discovered the body of her 
father cold in death, with a wound in his 
riglit temple. Mr. Hord, a month ]ire- 
vious, had traded about $14,000 worth 
of property in Clarence for a farm of 
160 acres at Farber, Mo., and it was 
thought he lost heavily on the deal. Be- 
fore committing the deed he scratched 
with a nail u|)on a pine box the following 
note-: "No family trouble. Good-bye 
to wife and children. My trouble is 
more than I can bear. These lies have 
run me crazy. I am innocent, good-bye. 
Love and kisses. Meet me in heaven. 
Bury at Andrew chapel, cheap coffin for 
bod}". I want my wife, Mary, adminis- 
ter without bond. Brother Oddfellows, 
I leave them in thy care." Mr. Hord 
had been depressed after the above deal, 
but he had just returned from Moberly 
at ll:5f) the night previous, had made 
Ijlans to go to Moberly and seemed in 
good spirits. He carried $5,000 life in- 
surance, was a leader in the Presby- 
terian church and a ])rominent Odd 
Fellow. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

9 

Shelby County — Census of Shelby County — Clabence — Shelbyville — Shelbina 

HUNNEWELL ThE TeMPLB OF JuSTICE— COUET HoUSE BUBNED ThREE 

Clarence Fiees — Shelby County Congeessman. — The Bethel Colony. 



SHELBY county. 

Shelby county, Missouri, is beyond 
controversy one of the most desirable 
counties in the state in which to live and 
prosper. We have finely i m proved 
farms and farm houses; fine, richly 
yielding orchards, bearing a great vari- 
ety of fruits. Fruits of all kinds grow 
to perfection, of large size and sujierior 
flavor. There are vegetable gardens in 
which grow the greatest variety, quan- 
tity and quality. We have a good ch- 
mate, excellent, pure water, thus adding 
to the healthfulness of its people. 
Rivers, creeks and running springs are 
numerous. Our county carries no bonds 
or interest bearing indebtedness to swell 
our taxes. Our population is over four- 
teen thousand. We have good schools. 
We own .323,000 beautiful broad acres 
of the most richly yielding soil on earth. 
Our prairies are gently rolling and 
adapted to all kinds of grain, the soil 
rich and productive, yielding in rich re- 
turns of wheat, corn, oats, rye, blue 
grass, clover and timothy. Our timber 
abounds in ma))le, oak, walnut, hickory, 
elm and ash. We surpass all other coun- 
ties in points of excellences. In sum- 
mary, our location, our fertile soil, our 
climate and healthfulness, our schools 
and social advantages, all the prerequi- 



sites to be considered in choosing' a home 
land, are to be found in good old Shelby. 
We grow the tallest corn, the biggest 
pumpkins, the reddest apples, the most 
verthint blue gi'ass, the finest cattle, 
hogs, sheep ; while here flourish the pret; 
tiest girls, tlie handsomest men, and a 
par excellent and most intelligent, most 
law-abiding people to be found in exist- 
ence. We support no saloon and thus 
boycott all that class of humanity. AVe 
.".re wide-awake, peace-loving, progres- 
sive people, and welcome to our midst 
all congenial, law-abiding people. 



ci;Nsrs OF .-^iiklrv 



1.S70. 

ropiilation 10.000 

Shelbina 1,146 

Cliiicnce 444 

Shelbyville o.'iO 

Uunnewell 



COIXTY. 


1 .s;)o. 


IflOll. 


15,642 


16,167 


1,691 


1,733 


1.0.S7 


1.1S4 


4S6 


777 


427 


473 



I'.tlO. 



1.><S0. 

14,024 

1,287 

.-)70 

(!1<I 

42.J 

At the "World's Corn Show," held at Columbus, 
Ohio, in January, 1911, Mr. .Tames Douglass, of 
Shelbina, was awarded the medal for the ten best 
ears of yellow dent corn over all competitors, thus 
bringing to Shelby county the fame of having pro- 
duced the best yellow corn in the world, and inci- 
dentally to Mr. Douglass a great demand for seed 
corn from all parts of the country. 

CLARENCE. 

Clarence, the second city in Shelby 
county. Its location is at the extreme 
western border, al)oiit two miles east of 
the Macon boundary line. It has a pres- 
ent i)opulatiou of 1,500. Its main busi- 
ness streets run i)arallel with the Han- 
nibal & St. ,I()se])li liailway. Tlic liusi- 



1G2 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



163 



ueas houses of the little city vie with any 
in the eonnty and draw trade from long 
distances in every direction, being in 
control of public-spirited men, whose en- 
terprise have gained a reputation which 
jjromises well for its future. The business 
houses are well built and convenient and 
modern within. The healthful location, 
that of a rolling i)rairie, with its abun- 
dance of good living water, the rich farm 
lands lying all about, the unsurpassed 
market facilities, enjoying the distinc- 
tion of being the heaviest shipping point 
between Hannibal and Kansas City, 
render it one of the most prosperous, 
enterprising and promising little cities 
in the state. It is populated by a people 
thoroughly intelligent, moral, progres- 
sive and well-to-do, and few cities can 
offer to the capitalist or home seeker 
superior advantages for safe invest- 
ments. The schools are forging to the 
front with all the push and vim of the 
modern educator. The fine church build- 
ings attest the healthfulness of the moral 
and religious tone of the town. Its 
]ieople are cordial and hospitable, all 
uniting in making the town the peer of 
any in the state. The surrounding 
farm lands perhaps surpass any for fer- 
tility of soil, and the perfect growth of 
all grains and fruits common in this lati- 
tude. Stock raising is everj^ man's vo- 
cation, from the fact that our abundance 
of grain, together with the great blue 
grass prairies which stretch over the ter- 
ritory make it a chief pleasure of life. 
So well located, Clarence can but pros- 
]ier from year to year more abundantly 
and her growth cannot be otherwise than 
steady. She possesses one of the best 
flouring mills and elevators in the coun- 
ty. She boasts of having a superior 



electric light plant, owned and operated 
by the city. The city is practically out 
of debt. Her streets are clean and well 
kept, and her beauty is enhanced by her 
long stretches of granitoid walks. On 
either side of her railroad are stretches 
of verdant green, dotted with beautiful 
shade trees, the same known as her city 
parks. 

Clarence has three splendid growing- 
banks, which bespeak her welfare. The 
service within is business, yet accommo- 
dating. 

She has one of the most modern and 
best equipped telephone buildings to be 
found anywhere in a town of her size, 
with a system containing 11,000 feet of 
cable. The proprietors, Naylor & Eagle, 
require a service of its force which is in 
keeping with such modern conveniences. 
It boasts of two good newspapers, repre- 
senting both the great political parties. 
Mayor Dimmitt, one of Ihe best to be 
found anywhere, is progressive and pub- 
lic spirited and pilots well her public en- 
terprises. Her beautiful homes and well 
kept lawns are her pride. She is destined 
to a steady growth and a sure future. 

SHELBYVILLE. 
By Hon. John D. Dale. 

Shelbyville, the capitol of Shelby 
county, is situate just north of the geo- 
graphical center of the county. She has 
about 1,000 people. Her citizenship is 
of the rare quality which makes Shelby 
county known all over the state for her 
morality, sobriety and intellectuality. 
Her financial institutions are among the 
safest in the state. The Shelbyville bank 
is an old institution, established in A. D. 
1874, with Dr. Phillip Dimmitt cashier 
and John T. Cooper president. Both of 



164 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



these old pioneers have long since passed 
over the great divide, leaving the bank 
in the liauds of Prince Dimmitt as presi- 
dent and A. M. Dunn as cashier. This 
bank has a capital stock of $20,000 and a 
surplus fund of $17,000. The Citizens' 
bank was organized in the year A. D. 
1894, with John J. Hewett as president 
and W. W. Mitchell as cashier. This 
bank has a capital of $20,000 and under 
its present management, with John J. 
Hewett as its present president and J. 
M. Pickett as cashier, it has grown to be 
one of the safe banks of the country. We 
have five churches, to wit: The Metho- 
dist Episcopal South, the Baptist, the 
Christian, the Presbyterian and the Holi- 
ness. All of these churclies are active 
in spreading the Gospel and have left 
their imprint upon the people of the 
county. 

Our graded public school is second to 
none in the county, and the citizens of 
this city are proud to lioast of our good 
school. The colored public school is 
good and the colored folk patronize it 
well. The mercantile interests are not 
only well represented, but Shelbyville 
has some of the best stores in northeast 
Missouri. The department store of Wil- 
liam Winetroub Sons' is a first-class es- 
tablishment which would do credit to a 
city three times the size of Shelbyville. 
The dry goods house of James Edelen 
& Co. contains a well selected, large stock 
of dry goods and hulies' fui'uishiugs and 
clothing and is a nice store. 

The two hardware stores carry large 
stocks in their line, and the old-estab- 
lished hardware store of N. C. Miller is 
patronized for many miles around. 

Our two drug stores are uji to date 
and handle drugs as medicines only. The 



drug house of A. M. Priest is one of the 
oldest houses of the kind in the county, 
and while the drug store of J. W. Penu 
is not so old, it is a well-equipped store 
and up to date in every respect. 

There are five grocery stores, all up to 
date, and two restaurants, two grist 
mills and feed stores, four blacksmith 
shops, where wagons are manufactured 
and repaired, one poultry and egg house, 
one newspaper and one opera house and 
two livery stables. 

The newspaper, the Shelby County 
Herald, is an old-established p a p e r , 
and is widely known for its advocacy of 
morality and such other principals as 
are for the best interest of the commun- 
ity. The opera house is a little beauty, 
with a seating capacity of 600. All but 
two of our business houses are of brick, 
fronting on the court house square. Our 
streets are wide and admirably shaded 
with elm and maple trees, which in the 
summer time are so inviting that the 
weary wanderer cannot forego the pleas- 
ure of seeking the shaded lawn and sip- 
l)iug the cool water from the spring well 
that is located near the court house. 

Shelbyville has four lawyers, to wit: 
John D. Dale, V. L. Drain, E. M. Obryen 
and J. T. Perry. 

Three physicians, to wit: Dr. W. M. 
Carson, Dr. John Maddox and Dr. P. C. 
Archer. 

The court house is a large commodious 
brick and stone structure, equipped with 
steam heat and water and each office con- 
taining a firojiroof vault for tlie records. 

The school house is a large stone and 
brick building with basement and mod- 
ern steam heating plant. The residence 
district will coni])aro favorably with any 
city of its size in the state and, al)ove 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



165 



all, it is peopled with a class of citizens 
who are widely kuown for their morality 
and refinement. 

There are two lumber yards, the Cot- 
ton Lumber Company and the North 
Missouri. Both of these yards carry 
large stocks and do a large business. 

The Shelby County Abstract & Loan 
Company is an institution that every 
county must have and this one is man- 
aged on correct principles. 

There is yet room for enterprising 
business men in Shelbyville and such will 
never regret having located here. 

The electric light plant is not so large 
as some in the county, but it is sufficient 
for all purposes here and is now in fine 
shape and giving good satisfaction. 

Of course, Shelbyville has a postoffice 
and every morning go out from this of- 
fice six rural carriers. 

Singleton Brothers, who own one of 
the grist mills and feed stores, also own 
and operate the elevator. 

Our furniture stores are among the 
best in the county. The old-established 
house of Pickett Bros, carry a large 
stock, well selected, and also do an un- 
dertaking business. 

J. W. Thompson & Son, the proprie- 
tors of the other furniture store, are 
equip]>ed nicely in their line and also do 
an undertaking business. 

There are two jewelry stores and they 
are both a credit to the city. Both carry 
pianos in connection with their jewelry 
business. 

One harness shop, which is the oldest 
estal)lishment of the sort in the county, 
having been established over fifty years 
ago, and the present proprietor, Julius 
Kitter, .Jr., was reared at the ))ench in 



this store. He carries a large stock and 
is an expert workman. 

One telephone system, owned and man- 
aged by R. B. Parker. 

There are two drays, delivery wagons 
and a bus line — in fact, all the minor en- 
terprises that go with an up-to-date city. 

We have as good or better railroad 
service than any city on the Burlington. 
The Shelby County railway trains enter 
our city three times daily, and with it 
comes the mail, express and freight. 

Our hotel is a commodious brick struc- 
ture an|;l admirably located, with a beau- 
tiful lawn and large shade trees. The 
proprietor, J. L. Gaines, has built this 
hostelry up to a first-class hotel. 

SHELBINA. 
By W. 0. L. Jewett. 

Fifty-five years ago a strip of prairie 
extended nearly across the southern 
edge of Shelby county, from Salt river 
on the east to the Macon line. This 
prairie was covered with a luxuriant 
growth of grass, often six to nine feet 
in height. A few farms jutted out of 
the timber into the edge of this prairie, 
but it was mainly unbroken — just as 
Nature had made it. 

Railroads often, probably usually, fol- 
low the line of least resistance. So when 
the Hannibal & St. Joe was laid out, be- 
ing compelled by its charter to touch Pal- 
mj'ra, it took from there a southwest- 
erly course for sixteen to eighteen miles, 
and then boi:e slightly north of west, so 
as to follow the prairie and avoid the 
l)reaks near the streams both north and 
south. Its course across the county west 
of Salt river is nearly straight, but where 
it reaches the Macon line it is about four 



166 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



miles north of where it crosses the east 
line of Shelby. 

During 1857 the railroad was built as 
far west as where Shelbina stands; a 
station was made on the level prairie and 
named Shelbina, being nearly in the cen- 
ter of the county east and west, and two 
and one-half miles from the Monroe Une. 
Then AValkersville, three and one-half 
miles to the northwest, on Salt river, was 
an important trading point, and Old 
Clinton, nine miles to the southeast, also 
on Salt river, was a still more imiiortant 
commercial center. But these, like most 
towns missed by a few miles, were killed 
by the railroad. 

Soon as this station was located cheap 
bui^iness houses were erected; first on 
the north side, and business began. Shel- 
byville, the county seat of Shelby, and 
Paris, the county seat of Monroe, were 
without railroad communications, and 
Shelbina became the shipping point for 
these towns, and for all the county north 
and south for more than twenty miles. 
With these advantages business thrived 
and the town grew rapidly. This was 
checked by the war, which liroke out in 
1861. Among the early business men 
were Kemper Bros., R. A. Motfett, Sam- 
uel ITardy, John J. Foster, John I. and 
William Taylor, William A. Reid, George 
Hill, JohnMyer, S. G. Parsons, C. A. 
Whitehead, and then Charles Miller, 
Charles and IMorris Goodman, Daniel G. 
and Coluinl)us Minter, Huron Miller, 
"Clabe" True, and Newton and John 
Bates. Among these Henson Thomas 
should not be forgotten, for he was an 
extensive real estate owner and dealer. 
Several saloons to dispense intoxicants 
to tlie railroad builders and others were 
among the lirst to occui>y business lots. 



In the fall and winter of 1857 the Thomas 
hotel, a good frame structure, was erect- 
ed where the Waverly hotel now stands. 
This hotel, we are told, did a large busi- 
ness in the early days. 

The early days of this town were like 
those of most other western villages, not 
as orderly as they should be. There 
were many rough characters about and 
much drinking. Saturdays often wit- 
nessed a number of fights. This condi- 
tion continued until near the close of the 
war. 

The first religious services were held 
in AVilliam A. Reid's store by Elder 
Powell, of the Baptist church, in tbe 
fall of ] 858. Mr. Reid had recently come 
from Old Virginia, and he was a man of 
character and force and soon became a 
leader, not only in business matters, but 
also in building up the M. E. chui'ch 
South and in Salibath school work. He 
became the wealthiest man of the place 
and died in 1890 at the age of sixty-four. 
Religious services were held in the 
Thomas hotel and afterwards in ^Miller's 
hall on Center street. It was 1867 before 
any church edifice was erected, and that 
was built by the Southern Methodists 
and Baptists on the site now occupied by 
the Pictorium. 

The war cheeked the material as well 
as the intellectual and moral growth of 
the place. During the troubles school 
ojjportunities were few. Charles M. 
King and some others had given instruc- 
tion to the youths befoi'e the war and 
part of the time during the continuance 
of the strife. 

Speaking of Mr. King, who afterwards 
became a lawyer and leading citizen of 
Shelbina, recall.s an incident during Bill 



HISTORY OP SHELBY COUNTY 



167 



Anderson's raid on the town in 1864. 
This outlaw had the citizens lined up 
the better to rob them of valuables. Mr. 
King was always a nicely dressed gen- 
tleman, and when the bandits demanded 
his valuables and he could produce only 
$1, they cursed him and handed the dol- 
lar back. Judge Daniel Taylor had to- 
bacco in the depot to be shipi)ed and he 
approached Bill Anderson and asked the 
privilege of getting his tobacco out be- 
fore the building was tired. The bandit 
leveled his revolver at Taylor's face and 
said he believed he should shoot the d — d 
Yankee, but finally allowed him to get 
his tobacco out and then burned the 
depot. The Federal authorities assessed 
$20,000 against the people of Shelbina 
and vicinity to pay the damage to the 
railroads. The military authority acted 
upon the false theory that the people of 
the vicinity were in sympathy with the 
raiders and could have prevented the 
damage; whereas they were as much 
opposed to the raiders as the military 
authorities themselves. Father D. S. 
Phelau interceded with Gen. Rosecrans 
and he revoked the order. This was the 
last raid of the war. 

With peace in 1865 came a new period 
of growth, and since then improvement 
has been continuous, though there have 
been periods when the town seemed to 
be at a standstill. This was especially 
so from '73 to '78, during the hardest 
times this country has ever seen. Then 
real estate values depreciated to less 
than half their former price and things 
were stagnant. Again during the 
eighties there was a period of depres- 
sion, when business did not flourish. 
Whenever farm products are so de- 
pressed that agriculture makes small re- 



turns, towns like Shelbina, dependent on 
rural trade, do not grow rapidly. 

In 1866 a fire consumed the Thomas 
hotel and all the business houses front- 
ing towards the railroad, west of Center 
street, and these were the main ones. 
The fire broke out when all were asleej:) 
and hence nearly everything the build- 
ings contained were destroyed. Fam- 
ilies living in the second story of the 
building barely escaped with their lives. 
It was determined to rebuild in a more 
substantial form and the three-story 
Masonic block and the two business 
houses, both two-story, east of this, were 
erected in 1867. The hotel was not 
built until 1871 and was named the 
"Waverly." 

Again in 1874 Shelbina was visited by 
a destructive fire, which also came in the 
night, and all the west side of Center 
street from the bricks fronting the rail- 
road south were swept away; Charles 
Miller's furniture store, at the extreme 
southern end, alone remaining. As the 
hard times were on the country, rebuild- 
ing was slow; but finally that large block 
of Bedford stone fronts was developed. 
A few years after the '74 fire the east 
side of Center street was also laid in 
ashes. Both sides of Center street are 
now lined with solid brick buildings. In 
1881 Wailnut street, east of Center 
street, began to develop, and it now has 
more brick buildings on the south side 
than there are on one side of any other 
titreet. 

Shelbina has been blessed with a lot 
i.f live, enterprising merchants, who 
have advertised and drawn trade from a 
long distance. They have made for 
themselves commodious ])laces, in which 
to display and keep their goods, and 



168 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



have also kept an excellent quality and 
variety of articles. Most of these men 
have been successful in making for them- 
selves and the town solid and substantial 
growth. Some have accumulated consid- 
erable property. 

In 1867 Shelbina was incorporated as 
a town, and in 1878 as a city of the 
fourth class. Soon after it became a 
city the business streets were made solid 
with gravel. It has long been noted for 
its good sidewalks, first of plank and now 
of granitoid. For twenty years past it 
has also been noted for the beauty and 
elegance of its homes. Forty years ago 
it looked bleak and bare; now nearly all 
its streets are lined with fine, towering 
shade trees. 

About twenty years ago the people 
voted $5,000 for an electric light plant, 
and this has since been doubled and the 
city has a good lighting system. The 
people also voted for water-works and 
sewers, but these have not yet been 
made. 

Some years ago a Business Men's As- 
sociation, with William M. Hanly as 
president and John H. Wood as secre- 
tary, was organized, and through its in- 
fluence a brick and tile plant was located 
just north of the city limits, and this is 
building U}) a fine trade. And a canning 
factory at a cost of $16,000 has also been 
established. Recently a factory for 
making frames for window screens, the 
Starrett AVindow Screen Company, has 
opened, with a fine promise of large suc- 
cess. For twenty years our Flouring 
Mill Company has done an extensive 
business. There are also three wagon 
factories in the city. 

In 1877 Shelbina Collegiate Institute 
was established for the better education 



of the youth of the communitj', and it 
did a fine work until the public high 
school became so efficient the institute 
became unnecessary. Shelbina has fine 
educational advantages and it also has 
strong church organizations and elegant 
houses of worship. The rough element, 
which was strong in the early history of 
the place, gradually faded away, and the 
people of this city and vicinity stand in 
the first rank for intelligence and moral- 
ity. The community about the city is 
prosperous and fine farm houses and 
barns dot the prairie in every direction. 
■No more pleasing sight is to be found in 
a thousand miles than right here in the 
city and the surrounding country. 

A write-up in the Democrat eight 
years ago among other things said: 
"Situated on the main line of the Bur- 
lington railroad, between Chicago, St. 
Louis and Kansas City, two miles from 
the southern border of Shelby county, is 
Shelbina, the largest town in the county. 
It is the shipping and trading point of a 
rich farming country and draws its 
wealth from the agricultural and stock 
raising country about it. The city is lo- 
cated on gently rolling prairie land and 
has wide, well kept, level streets. Stran- 
gers who view the town for the first time 
remark ui)on the width of the business 
streets. Then they comment upon the 
number and beauty of the shade trees 
that line all the residence streets of the 
town. Beautiful and graceful elms have 
been jilanted in the grounds belonging 
to the railroad near the station, making 
two handsome, shady jiarks of what 
would otherwise have been a vacant 
tract. 

"In Shelbina nearly every man sits 
under the shade of his own vine and his 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



169 



own fig tree. In other words, they own 
their homes. This produces a pride in 
the appearance of things tliat has caused 
Shelbina to be noted as the town of 
beautiful homes. No other town of its 
size in northeast Missouri has so many 
beautiful residences." 

Then the write-up gives an account of 
the lights, the schools, the orders and 
clubs, and the beauty of scenery, and 
winds up with an enumeration of what 
the town has, thus: 

"One furniture store. 

"Two photographers. 

"A telephone system. 

"Two clothing stores. 

' ' Three livery stables. 

"One business college. 

"A population of 1,800. 

' ' One electric light plant. 

"Twelve real estate offices. 

' ' One cleaning and dyeing shop. 

' ' Three hotels and five boarding 
houses. 

"Four blacksmith and repair shops. 

' ' Six grocery and six dry goods stores. 

"Four millinery and five dressmaking 
shops. 

"The best high school in northeast 
Missouri. 

"One music and one undertaking es- 
tablishment. 

"A lOO-barrel-a-day flouring mill, and 
a bakery. 

"Splendid railroad service, ten pas- 
senger trains every twenty-four hours. 

"A splendid telephone exchange. 

"The l)est fair in the county. 

"Two cigar factories, three lumber 
yards, two book and notion stores, four 
barber shops, two meat markets, one 
marble shop, six drug stores, three den- 
tists, six churches, one laundry, one oc- 



eulist, six doctors and three banks." It 
did not SHJ, as it should, four lawyers. 

Shelbina is one of the few small cities 
that has made a substantial growth dur- 
ing the past ten years, and the popula- 
tion by the census of 1910 is 2,174. 

It has long been known that there was 
some coal north of the city, and some 
years since an effort was made to or- 
ganize a company to sink a shaft about 
a mile north of the place, but it fell 
through. It was feared the vein was 
too thin to pay. But in the spring of 
1910 it was found in paying quantities. 
Jacob Kaby, who is one of the men who 
established" the Brick & Tile Plant, 
bought a farm on Salt river, just east of 
the Shelby County railroad, and he im- 
mediatelv sank a shaft and foimd six or 
seven feet of good coal, about half bi- 
tuminous and half cannel coal. He also 
found great quantities of valuable white 
clay. Some of this has been shipped to 
Illinois and worked up. It makes a fine 
quality of porcelain for bath tubs, etc. 
J. E. Holman and F. E. Merrill have 
leased the coal mine and are now raising 
some twenty odd tons a day. This sup- 
ply of coal promises many advantages to 
Shelbina. 

The Shelby County railroad, built by 
home capital, is a great convenience for 
the people of Shelbina, as well as those 
of Shelbyville and all this surrounding 
country. The Brick & Tile Plant is on 
the line of this road, and the coal mine 
also. 

For twenty years past Shelbina has 
been blessed with au intelligent and 
moral class of citizens, who have done 
much to give the city an excellent name. 
Its members of the bar have not only 
been learned and able, but men of the 



170 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



highest character. It has also been 
blessed with skillful pln'sicians, who 
have sustained the reputation of this 
great profession. In the line of mechan- 
ics, as well as in that of trade and mer- 
chandise, this beautiful little city has 
been highly favored. 

Its two weekly newspapei's, "The 
Democrat" and "The Torchlight," have 
always stood in the front rank of local 
journals and have contributed their full 
share towards building up the city mate- 
rially, intellectually and morally, and 
have contributed largely to its reputa- 
tion abroad. 

HUNNEWELL. 

On August 15, 1857, Josiah Hunt, the 
land commissioner of the Hannibal & St. 
Joe railroad, platted the city of Hunne- 
well. It had been deeded in July of the 
same year by Kichard Drane and wife to 
John Duff, of Dedham, Mass., for the 
sum of $1,200, and compi-ised a tract 
of sixty-two and one-half acres. The 
town was christened Hunnewell in honor 
of H. Hollis Hunnewell, of Boston, who 
was connected with the Hannibal & St. 
Joe railroad, as was Mr. Duff. 

Early in 1857 Ste))hen Doyle built the 
first storehouse and was afterwards 
known as the Doyle, Kellogg & Co. 

Soon after the town ojDened Richard 
Durbin built a frame building, a story 
and a lialf, into which his family moved 
— the first family living in this town. 

A little later," Snider & Co. built the 
third house for a storeroom. Snider & 
Co. stood for Jno. Snider, W. F. Black- 
burn, A. L. Yancey and Jno. Maddox. 
The first lot deed was made out to W. F. 
Blackburn. 

In 1857, the railroad having been com- 



pleted to the city limits, an excursion was 
run from Hunnewell to Monroe City on 
the 4th of July. In the fall of 1857 the 
first hotel was established by a Mr. Ball, 
who moved over from Old Cliuto'n. John 
H. Snider was the first postmaster. The 
postoffice was established in 1857 in the 
store of Snider & Co. In 1859 a school 
house was erected. It was a frame build- 
ing located south of the track in the west- 
ern part of the city. The town now has 
a new brick building, erected about 1895, 
and is located north of the track in the 
west part of the city. Himnewell's first 
preacher was Rev. T. DeMoss, a Metho- 
dist. Services were held in the school 
hoixse. 

The town of Hunnewell is located in 
the southeast corner of Shelby county 
and is one of the oldest and most sub- 
stantial towns of the county. 

The country surrounding is splendid 
agricultural land and the citizenship is 
the old Missouri kind that believe in 
honesty and good morals. The town con- 
tains two banks, one newspaper and 
some splendid stoi-es and business 
houses. 

THE TEMPLE OF JUSTICE. 

The first courthouse erected in Shelby 
county was built in the years 1838 and 
1839, "and in March, 1839, the first term 
of Circuit court was held in the new 
courthouse. This building served the 
purposes of a temple of justice and home 
for counly officials until it was destroyed 
by fire in 1891. 

THE COURTHOUSE BURNED. 

On ^fonday morning, June "29. 1891, 
while Sheriff W. P. Martin was cleaning 
u\) the courthouse yard, assisted by some 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



171 



prisoners, the courthouse was discovered 
to be on tire. A i)ile of broken limbs and 
trash had been piled on the north side of 
the old historical building, and set on 
fire, and it is likelj- the building was set 
on fire by sparks from the rubbish. 
Nearly all the records were saved and tlie 
loss consisted chiefly of J. C. Hale's law 
library, some of the probate records, 
and some of the papers in the collector's 
office. On Saturday, September 5, 1891, 
a proijosition to issue $25,000 bonds for 
a new courthouse was voted on and car- 
ried by a vote of 1,130 to 537. At the 
County court meeting on February 4, 
1892, the contract to erect the new court- 
house was awarded to Charles Force & 
Co., of Kansas City, Mo. The building- 
was to be completed by November 1, 
1892, but the contractor was slow and 
the county officials did not get into their 
new quarters until July, 1893. The first 
term of Circuit court was held the Octo- 
ber following, with Judge Ellison on the 
bench. 

THE 1884 FIBE. 

A disastrous fire occurred in Clarence 
on Friday, February 15, 1884. The har- 
ness shop of H. M. Shal)e], El)erhard & 
Co.'s grocery store, E. E. Dale's restau- 
rant, McWilliams' grocery store, Dur- 
ham's shoe shop. Dr. Hill's office, Will- 
iam Shutter's hardware, R. P. Richard- 
son's clothing store. Rouse's barber 
shop and the postoffice were totally de- 
stroyed. Amoimt of loss on goods was 
$40,000; loss on buildings, $10,000. In- 
surance, $6,400. 

CREAMERY BURNS. 

The creamery owned by Jacol) Pencil 
burned on Thursday night, January 14, 



1886. The building and fixtures cost 
about $4,000, on which there was $3,400 
insurance. 

MAN AND HORSES BURNED. 

Monday, November 9, 1884, the livery 
stable owned by a Mr. Clark, in Clarence, 
burned to the ground. Eight head of 
horses were burned, as were the contents 
of the barn. Joseph Blytlie, a one-legged 
man, who was sleei^ing in the hay loft, 
perished in the conflagration. 

A SHELBY COUNTY CONGRESSMAN. 

May 9, 1902, the congressional com- 
mittee met in Kirksville and ordered a 
primary to select a candidate for con- 
gress. Primary set for August 20. 
Richard P. Giles carried Shelby by 
1,051 over his opponent. Col. W. H. 
Hatch. Giles also carried Macon and 
Adair counties. Hatch's majority in the 
district was 414. The second race was 
still closer, in which Hatch defeated Giles 
for the nomination by the narrow margin 
of 195 votes. This time Giles carried 
four counties : Shelby, Adair, Knox and 
Schuyler. A great deal of bitterness was 
engendered in this contest lietween the 
friends of the two candidates, and that, 
together with the fact that 1894 was a 
landslide for the Republicans, was in- 
strumental in defeating Hatch at the 
general election in Novemlier. At this 
election Col. Hatch, who had been in con- 
gress for sixteen years, was defeated l)y 
Maj. C. N. Clark, of Hannibal, by the 
close plurality of 329 votes. In 1896 Mr. 
Giles was made the Democratic nominee 
for congress by acclamation at the con- 
gressional convention held in Canton on 
August 11. He defeated Clark by over 
5,000 plurality, the largest plurality ever 



ITS 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



given to a candidate in the district up to 
that time. Mr. Giles, however, did not 
live to reaji the reward of his eti'orts, but 
died only two weeks after the election. 
The date of his death was November 17, 
1896. Mr. James T. Lloyd was chosen as 
his successor. 

THE BETHEL COLONY A STORY OF COM- 
MUNISM IN MISSOURI. 

(By Vernon L. Drain.) 

Few of those who read the books of 
Bellamy and who dream of an ideal com- 
monwealth, where each citizen is equal 
to every other citizen and all are alike 
rich with a common fund, are aware that 
those ideas embodied in the maxim — 
"equal rights to all and special privi- 
leges to none" — were once actually ap- 
plied in the establishment and subse- 
quent operation of the Bethel colony, a 
settlement founded by honest and sturdy 
German emigrants on the winding shores 
of North river, in Shelby county, Mis- 
souri. 

Several years ago Dr. David E. McAn- 
ally, now deceased, then the able editor 
of the St. Louis Christian Advocate, in 
an editorial on the subject of com- 
munism, asserted that the Oneida com- 
munity in New York, the Bethel colony 
and its offshoot, the Aurora (Oregon) 
settlement, were the notable instances of 
the application of the theory of com- 
munism upon American soil. Since 
then several sketches have been con- 
tributed to metropolitan newspapers 
wherein various features of this enter- 
prise have been reviewed, and recently 
Mr. William G. Bek, of the University 
of Missouri, has written a small volume 
in which the details of this enterjn-ise 



are given with much care. Aside from 
these writings the fame of this singular 
experiment has been contined to tireside 
narratives as the historian of its achieve- 
ments seems to have been omitted from 
its caravan, or left behind in the long 
journey of its progenitors toward the 
valley of the Mississippi. 

Like many modern co-operative 
schemes of similar character, this was 
conceived and planned in the brain of a 
religious enthusiast, who doubtless 
dreamed that he was the chosen i)ower to 
usher in a brighter day for human kind. 
This is not to be wondered at, nor is it to 
the discredit of spiritual things. Keli- 
gion is the most powerful force known 
to man, and it stirs the best that there is 
in us. It makes us to grapple with life's 
unsolved and unsettled problems and the 
dreams of the devotee are an inspiration 
to better things for his race and kindred. 
The longings of the dreamer may never 
be realized; his efforts may be like the 
crying of a child in the night, and we 
may say that his plan came to naught. 
But after all, it may be a contribution to- 
ward the betterment of humanity, and 
may l)ring us nearer to that far-off event 
toward which we are told the whole cre- 
ation is moving. The world is much in- 
debted to its so-called impracticable men. 

Dr. William Keil, the founder, 
prophet, priest and king of this Western 
Utopia, was a Methodist i^reacher of 
German lineage, who labored among his 
countrymen in portions of Pennsylvania 
and Ohio; how long he continued in the 
ministry or how successful were his 
labors cannot be ascertained, but for 
some reason, presumably that of preach- 
ing strange doctrine, he was called to ac- 
count by his ecclesiastical .superiors, by 




it^ 



Ti^thC'^t C^niiCl. 



THE OLD COLONY CHURCH AT BETHEL 



i 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



173 



whom he was deprived of his ministerial 
authority. He then formulated this com- 
munistic scheme, organized this society. 
and with his followers emigrated west- 
ward and founded this colony, which sur- 
vives its wreck so far as appearances are 
concerned in the present town of Bethel, 
where some of the quaint buildings of the 
earl}' colonists are still pointed out to the 
inquisitive traveler. 

These colonists secured by entry or 
purchase a large tract of valuable land, 
eleven hundred acres of which was en- 
closed as the common field where the in- 
dividuals labored under the direction of 
overseers appointed by Dr. Keil. A com- 
mon boarding-house was erected where 
the unmarried male members of the com- 
munity resided, and a common store- 
house was kept where the families were 
supplied with their alloted i)ortions of 
provisions, the storekeeper m a n a g i n g 
the accounts and supplying the necessa- 
ries according to the communal regula- 
tions. The attention of these frugal peo- 
ple was directed toward manufacturing, 
and in the palmy and prosperous days of 
the enterprise Bethel was a miniature 
Lowell ; cloth was spun from the wool of 
the colonj^ sheep, which roamed in vast 
herds over the virgin prairies, attended 
by the designated s h e p h e r d s, and the 
skins of the wild deer, which had not then 
d i s a p p e a r e d from our horizon, were 
made into hats and gloves. 

Perhaps the crowning work of these 
industrious people, from an architectual 
standpoint, was the erection of the col- 
ony church, which until recently stood in 
simple grandeur as a memoiy of better 
days. This edifice was constructed of 
brick and stone after the type of churclies 
in the fatherland. It was paved with 



tiling, provided with an organ loft 
and would accommodate a multitude. It 
was crowded on the Sabbath day with 
the colonists, who, in the zenith of their 
power numbered perhaps a thousand 
souls. The type of religion cannot well 
be defined or classified, as Dr. Keil was 
leader in all things spiritual as well as 
temporal. From the scant information 
obtainable it seems that Dr. Keil grew 
to manhood in Prussia where he dalibled 
in the mysteries of the "black art," 
which was evolved and practiced by the 
tribes which long ago peopled the dark 
forests of Germany. After coming to 
America and while living in Pennsyl- 
vania he came under the influence of Dr. 
William Nast, the founder of the Ger- 
man Methodist church, whose life was a 
great contribution to the human race. 
Under the ministry of this great preacher 
Keil professed conversion, and in the 
presence of Dr. Nast he burned the secret 
formulas of his art and renounced its 
practice. Later on he seems to have dif- 
fered with his brethren and at the time 
when he was deposed from the ministry 
he had gathered a number of adherents 
who followed him implicity. One of these 
was Carl G. Koch, a scholarly German, 
who soon renounced the claims of Keil 
and op230sed his plans by writing a book 
wherein he asserted that he was a mystic 
and a dreamer. From all account he 
preached a polyglot, utilitarian doctrine, 
and there were man.y pious souls among 
these colonists even though their leader 
held and i)reached tenets of belief that 
must have been a cross between the 
Apostle's creed and the mysteries of the 
ancients. He claimed to be insjured with 
superhuman power and the older colo- 
nists accpiiesced in this assumption and 



174 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



rendered him the homage due a superior 
creature. The observance of religious 
ceremonies was rigidly enforced. Each 
Sabbath morning during services the 
primitive policeman or burgomaster 
kept the streets and public places clear 
of loiterers and this may in part account 
for the immense attendance at the fa- 
mous old church. 

East of Bethel and down the pictur- 
esque North river, was erected the man- 
sion house of Dr. Keil where he lived 
and dispensed the hospitality of a feudal 
monarch. This house with its numerous 
appurtenances was called "Elim." It 
was built by the common labor and was 
a part of the possessions of the colony, 
but was designed and used as the resi- 
dence of the leader or governor. A com- 
modious banquet hall served its purpose, 
and there is a tradition that Dr. Keil 
lived and reigned here in this Western 
wilderness after the fashion of the great 
King Solomon, the splendor of whose 
reign has been the dream of the ages. 

The general character and appearance 
of these colonists would fit Irving's de- 
scription of the founders of New Am- 
sterdam during the glorious reign of Sir 
Peter Stuj'vesant. The typical, old fash- 
ioned Dutchman was the dominant type. 
They were artisans skilled in the highest 
degree. Such finished craftsmen were 
they that their work abides to this day 
in monuments of wood and stone. They 
were practical in all things save in shar- 
ing the ideas of their leaders and their 
descendants are usually splendid citizens 
wherever found. 

The plan of perfect equality was up- 
permost in the minds of the greater por- 
tion of these sincere adventurers, and 
this was their dominant idea. To the 



end that equal rights should be accorded 
to each member and that the scheme of 
co-operation should be rigidly adhered 
to, many curious expedients were prac- 
tised. At the Christmas festivities, al- 
ways held at the church, it was observed 
that each child was remembered by 
Santa Clause in exactly the same way 
and with exactly the same portion of any 
given article. 

Two collossal Christmas trees were 
erected and on these were placed the 
gifts for the children, and the elders and 
the strangers within the gates were also 
remembered. The trees as well as the 
interior of the building were lavishly 
decorated, and the decorations and the 
greater portion of the presents remained 
during the festivities, which usually 
lasted for a week. The splendor of the 
Yule-tide lingers yet in the memory of 
the sui'vivors. 

When the close of "life's fitful fever" 
came to one of the inhabitants, care was 
taken that he should be buried in the 
same degree of state accorded to his 
comrades who had preceded him to the 
peaceful colony of the dead. A plain, 
wooden coffin, a prayer for the repose of 
his soul and a grave amid the shadows 
of Hebron, the common burial place, was 
the farewell to the busy worker as he 
ceased his toil and passed out into the 
quiet. 

The earnings of the colony were placed 
in the keeping of a purseholder or treas- 
urer, and the fund grew as the years 
passed by, the members having none of 
it and presiunptively needing none, as 
they were supplied from the community 
storehouse and forbidden to trade else- 
where; so that the colony existed )irin- 
cipally upon confidence, many of them 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



175 



living for years without possessing a 
cent of actual cash; the redemption 
money was in existence however, so they 
exercised confidence and labored and 
toiled. 

There was doubtless much in the wild 
luxuriance of the middle West to inspire 
lofty thoughts and noble purposes ; there 
seems to be an ascending pathway that 
leads us "from nature up to nature's 
God." But amid it all the tempter strug- 
gled for mastery as he did in the origi- 
nal Eden, and it is not strange that at 
the couclusion of the dreams of the sim- 
ple colonists there came a rude awaken- 
ing. Out of this splendid sowing there 
came a reaping for a talented lawyer 
who assisted in restoring order out of 
chaos and who counseled them as to the 
division of the property at the final dis- 
memberment of the colony which oc- 
curred during the year 1879. 

The title to the real estate of the colony 
was vested in individuals who held it for 
the common use and benefit, as the per- 
sonalty was held by the community 
treasurer. It is a monument to the 
mastery of Dr. Keil that the colony pros- 
pered as it did. No written constitution 
or agreement had ever existed and the 
whole affair moved under the guidance 
of the leader. When they were bereft 
of his immediate presence as hereinafter 
related, the alTairs of the community be- 
came more involved and finally one of 
the colonists sued for the value of the 
services which he had rendered to the 
colony. It then developed that the com- 
munity had no legal existence as it had 
never been incorporated, and it was also 
im]>ossible to hold any one member lia])le 
as an individual. And then there arose 
many questions as to the rights of those 



members who had left the parent colony 
at Bethel and founded colonies else- 
where; and finally in 1877 there came the 
tidings of the death of Dr. Keil. Then 
the last page of the history of the Bethel 
Colony was written when the agreement 
for a division of the property was signed 
by the colonists at Bethel and also by 
those in Oregon who had formerly been 
members of the Bethel experiment. 

By the terms of this agreement three 
trustees were appointed to represent the 
Oregon members, and five trustees were 
likewise authorized to act for the Bethel 
members. These trustees met and agreed 
as to the rights of each community in the 
common property, and also the rights of 
the individuals therein. An account was 
taken, first, as to the amount of property 
lirought into the enterprise by each colo- 
nist when he became a member, and then 
the number of years of service of each 
ascertained. Then the common prop- 
erty was valued and a plan of division 
was formulated by which each colonist 
or his heirs received the amount origi- 
nally contributed, and also the value of 
his or her services as ascertained by 
dividing the total value of the remaining 
property by the total number of years 
contributed by the entire number of in- 
dividuals, and then multiplying the re- 
sult by the years served by each member. 
The actual result was that in addition to 
the amount originally contril)uted, each 
male member of the Bethel Colony re- 
ceived in cash the sum of $29.04 per year 
for his services, and the female members 
one-half of this sum. The plan of allot- 
ment was honorably carried out by these 
trustees without litigation, the vast prop- 
erty interests were allotted in severalty 
and the Bethel Colony passed into his- 



176 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



toiy, where in spite of the liopes of its 
founders, it serves like the memory of 
the Swedish King Charles, "to point a 
moral, or adorn a tale." 

It is but just to the fame of Dr. Keil 
to say that he was spared the pain of wit- 
nessing the dissolution of his dream-like 
empire. 

The colony was founded in the year 
1845, and prospered much until the de- 
parture of its leader in 1858, though to 
the student of social problems the result 
would seem a leveling of human hopes 
and aspirations rather than that trium- 
phant achievement which adorns so 
grandly the successful struggle of in- 
dividual life. Around the departure of 
the leader there is a story that almost 
baffles human credence, though it is a 
well attested fact. 

Dr. Keil, like Joshua of old, had sent 
out spies to view the realms of the dis- 
tant west, whither he hoped to extend the 
influence of his c o m m u u i s t i c project. 
Some had returned, while others re- 
mained enchanted with the marvelous 
scenery and enraptured with the prom- 
ise of the morning dawn of that won- 
drous empire — 

"Where rolls the Oregon, and hears no 

sound. 
Save his own dashings." 

Tales of the natural beauty and fer- 
tility of this region were borne to the 
ears of the leader of the colonists and 
around his fireside were discussed the 
plans and hopes of a future domain be- 
yond the Rockies. Under the direction 
of the leader, an infant colony has been 
formed by the prosjiectors to which was 
given the inspiring name of "Aurora," 



and though the dreams of its originators 
have faded like the gleam of the borealis, 
the town still flourishes in the State of 
Oregon. 

The vision of the Bethel colonists was 
broadened by this adventure and their 
gaze turned toward the sunset. In their 
rude plastered houses they thought much 
about the distant valley of the Wil- 
lamette whence came the good tidings 
from their brethren. It was the day of 
the ox team, and the journey would con- 
sume months of time, yet many wished 
to undertake it. 

Among others who caught the western 
fever was a favorite son of Dr. Keil, who 
dreamed fond dreams of the land of 
promise. After much solicitation his 
father consented that he might go, and 
he began i^reparing for his departure 
from the mansion house upon a journey 
that would span half the continent, but 
which seemed to him as the coming of 
a holiday. The flame of ambition burned 
with increasing fervor in his youthful 
blood, but there came a fateful hour in 
which he was seized with another fever, 
deadlier and more ardent than the first, 
which added its fire to the flame of the 
other, increasing rather than diminish- 
ing its glow. In his delirium the long 
cherished Avirora was more real than 
ever to his disordered fancy. He "bab- 
bled o' the green fields ;" he saw the som- 
ber beauty of the cascades, and could 
hear the surf beat on the distant sea. 
There may have been a i'aii- haired Ger- 
man girl whose beckoning liand allured 
him; at least he exacted a jtromise from 
his father that in the event of his ex- 
pected death he should be buried among 
the scenes where his mind and heart al- 
readv lingered. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



177 



He died, and amid tlie gloom which 
settled over the mansion house at Elim, 
his father made haste to fulfill the vow 
to his lamented son. An emigrant train 
was organized among the colonists who 
wished to depart, the body was encased 
in an iron cofHu containing alcohol, 
placed in the front wagon of the train 
which was drawn by six mules, and amid 
the lamentations of the remaining mem- 
bers of the colony there was begun what 
is perhaps the strangest and most stu- 



l^endous funeral march in the history of 
our land. After months of weary travel 
over plain and moutain the tired but 
faithful mourners arrived at Aurora, 
and the father religiously fulfilled his 
vow to his dying child. 

The Bethel brethren saw their patri- 
arch no more ; the colony dwindled away, 
and the snows of many winters have lain 
upon the grave of the leader, who sleeps 
beside his son under the Oregon pines. 
Vernon L. Drain. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Schools, Colleges axd Chckches — Shelbixa Collegiate Ixstitcte — Shelbixa 
Public School — The Macos Distbict Academy at Clarence — College at 
Leoxabd — The Ixdepexdext Holiness School at Clarence — The Christian 
Chtjbch in Shelby County — The Evangelical Association. 



shelbina collegiate institute. 

The Shelbina Collegiate Institute was 
established May 16, 1887. at a cost of 
$6,000. It was a fine and commodious 
building for the day and well built. Dr. 
Leo Baeir was the first president. Dur- 
ing the two years he was head of the 
school he gave them a good start, but its 
prestige was increased when Prof. E. L. 
Ripley and wife took charge of the work. 
They were both intelligent, broad and 
cultured and two of the greatest educa- 
tors of the day. Prof. Fredus Peters, re- 
ceived the greater part of his education 
at this seat of learning, graduating un- 
der Prof. Ripley. Prof. Ripley's motto 
in school work was, "The mind, like the 
body, becomes strong by exercise." He 
never did for a pupil what that pupil 
could do for himself. The last faculty 
in the old college building, as a college, 
was president T. E. Peters; vice-presi- 
dent. Rev. W. W. Carhart ; preparatory 
department, E. R. Edwards; primary, 
Miss Annie McMurry; music. Miss Kate 
Crawford; art. Miss Orrington Jewett. 
Tliere was a falling off in attendance, 
numbering 140 the previous year. The 
faculty was a strong one, but the patron- 
age was not sufficient and the town be- 
gun talking a thornnsli higli school and 



at a meeting of her citizens in May, 1892, 
without a dissenting voice, the college 
merged into a public school. 

shelbina public school. 

The first school house was built in 
Shelbina in the year 1859, which build- 
ing remodeled and modernized stood till 
the year 1884. Among the early teachers 
was Charles M. King, later a prominent 
attorney of the city till the nineties, 
the time of his death. It was in the nine- 
ties that Shelbina begim to look to her 
public school as a chief asset for her 
future prominence. The year 1892, a 
number of her prominent citizens met 
with the board of education to consider 
the advisability of leasing the college 
building and establishing a high school. 
Everyone present, in brief talks, heartily 
endorsed the idea of a first-class high 
school. 

It was shown that the town had wholly 
outgrown the accommodations of the old 
building. The board of education then 
sought the l)est teachers, placing Prof. 
J. T. Vaughn as superintendent. The 
curriculum was overhauled to correlate 
with the State University. Thus estab- 
lished, the jieojile had only reached the 
beginning-. In the venr 1890-01 the old 



178 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



179 



building was passed upon as unsafe and 
was rodded. Then every windy day half 
the children were absent and the other 
half wanted to go home and was restive, 
until the November monthly meeting of 
the board of education, they voted to put 
it up to the jDeople to bond the city for 
$10,000 to erect a new building. The pro- 
position carried and Shelbina now boasts 
of one of the most modern and up-to-date 
buildings. Her stride of improvement 
has been unceasing. Her building, eom- 
])leted in September, 1894, sjieaks vol- 
mnes for the enterprise of her people and 
stands as a monument to her intelligence. 
The town sees to it that they have ever a 
wide-awake board and that board in turn 
puts up the teachers, and she is ever on 
the alert for new and modern equipment. 
"As a seat of learning may she abide." 

THE MACON DISTRICT ACADEMY AT CL.4RENCE. 

The Macon District division of the 
Missouri conference decided to i^lace be- 
fore the people of their district a prop- 
osition to build an academy and asked 
for the towns to make sealed bids for 
same, the town to stand good for the 
amount bid. Bids were submitted from 
Clarence, ]\Iacon, Shelbina. Clarence be- 
ing the highest bidder, $13,000. W. A. 
Irwin (deceased), W. A. Dimmitt, Christ 
Hunolt (deceased), O. C. Perry and 
others being active co-operators in the 
enterprise. 

The work was well under headway and 
the corner stone was laid in the year 
1888, June l."?th, under the auspices of 
the Masonic order, assisted by the Knight 
Templars. 

The city was an array of decoration, 
the Cameron band furnishing most ex- 
cellent music for the visitors, which num- 



bered several thousand. Mayor Irwin 
delivered the welcome address, followed 
by other state speakers. Rev. J. D. Vin- 
cil conducted the exercises and a dinner 
was served to the visitors. The building 
was of brick, well built, containing nine 
rooms which included a large auditorium 
on the first floor. 

The school opened in full blast with 
Eev. P. D. Shultz at the head, and Ms 
wife principal of the primary depart- 
ment. At her best the school had some 
200 pupils. Others who were at its head 
from time to time and labored faithfully 
for its success were J. J. Pritchett, E. C. 
Crabb, Prof. Demaree, but it was hard 
to keep it up. In the year 1898, Rev. Sol 
Milam made the town the proposition to 
build a boarding house thinking it was a 
great draw back not to have such a place. 
He was to put into it the same amount 
as the town, the individual to receive 
scholarships for the amount they put up. 
A $6,000 boarding house was built. It 
was heated by hot air and had water 
throughout the house. It was an 
excellent, modern building. He had 
the house full the first year, but pat- 
ronage began to lag and he held the 
school just five years. H. J. Simmons 
bought the boarding house. In 1906, 
Prof. Fred L. Thompson, of Macon 
county, bought the college building at 
$2,750 and immediately sold it to the In- 
dejiendent Holiness church for $3,000. 
The fall of 1909, Simmons sold the board- 
ing house to the Holiness people for 
$5,500. 

COLLEGE AT LEONARD. 

In the year of 1890, Eev. John T. 
AVelsh originated the idea of a college at 
Leonard. The people were rurally lo- 



180 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



eated in the best of farming country to 
be found in the county, but this re- 
sijlendent fact was depressed by the real- 
ization of its good people that their chil- 
dren only had the advantage of a district 
school. Eev. John T. Welsh, seeing the 
splendid values of farming in that dis- 
trict, thought that a superior advantage 
could be obtained by establishiug a col- 
lege at Leonard on the scholarship plan 
and went forth to sound the popularity 
of the plan. In a few hours he raised 
$1,000 within the radius of the hamlet 
itself. The building was a good, sub- 
stantial frame building, two stories, a 
large auditoriimi on the second floor and 
five class rooms on the first floor. 

The first school, under the presidency 
of Rev. Welsh, assisted by W. L. Shouse, 
received a goodly patronage, and satis- 
factory work and higher education re- 
ceived a new impetus thereabouts. The 
school continued some six years, during 
which time Rev. 0. P. Shrout, a popular 
man in the Christian church, had a turn 
at the work, but the scholarships taken 
in the building were running out and in- 
terest lagged, until finally, for lack of 
sufficient patronage, as is the tendency of 
all such schools that have dotted our 
county, it was a hardship to make neces- 
sary funds to sustain the school and the 
building was sold to T. P. Manuel, who 
in turn sold it, and finally it was torn 
down and the lumber was converted into 
the house in which Henry Stuart now 
lives. 

SHELBYVILLE SCHOOLS. 

Shelbyville has always been to the 
front in her schools. There is not a town 
anywhere that ranks with ShelbyviUe in 
her schools compared with population. 



Possessing the eapitol of Shelby county, 
she has a special civic pride in all public 
enterprises, and she has always taken a 
specially keen pride in her schools. As 
early as the fall of 1857 Hezekiah Ellis 
opened a select school in the old Metho- 
dist church building. He had as his able 
assistants R. C. Arendt and Miss Parme- 
lia White. 

In 1858 Mr. Ellis opened school in the 
Shelbyville Seminary. His assistants 
were Prof. Dodd, R. C. Arendt and Miss 
Draper. At the death of his father, six 
months later, Mr. Ellis resigned, his as- 
sistants finishing the term. In 1860 Mr. 
Ellis opened a school of his own in the 
Carothers block. Eev. Joseph Dines was 
an assistant in a seminary in 1859 ; Prof. 
Leonard in 1860. The early settlers at 
Shelbyville bitterlj' opposed public 
schools and fought bitterly every propo- 
sition to institute such a school in their 
midst. Such a school building was 
erected, however, just after the war. It 
was a frame building and contained four 
rooms. Mrs. Manville was i)rincipal for 
four years and she was followed by Miss 
Minta Foster, eight years, then a new 
building of brick was erected of four 
nice rooms, and later this Iniilding was 
remodeled with an addition of four 
rooms and the Shelbyville public school 
developed into a high school. This build- 
ing stood three blocks east of the court 
house. W. L. Shouse had charge of the 
school during its days that it was on up- 
ward grade, and Shel])yville today feels 
indebted to him for the earlj" develop- 
ment of her school. Professors Richard- 
son and Alexander also did faithful woi'k 
later on. Now Shelbyville ])ossesses one 
of the best, most modern and up-to-date 
buildings in this part of the country. She 



HISTOKY OP SHELBY COUNTY 



181 



has a ten-room, steam-lieated building, 
and her course of study is simply first- 
class in every respect. Professor Brown, 
superintendent the first four years in the 
new school home, and this year Professor 
Stanley is making- good to her people the 
reputation that city has always shared. 
Shelbyville maintains a wide-awake and 
' ' push ' ' board of education. Some of the 
prominent lights that have done much 
for Shelbj'\'ille in school lines are : Judge 
Perry, Messrs. John Gooch, J. J. Hewitt 
and Walt Dimmitt. 

THE CLAEENCE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 

The Clarence schools were moved from 
pillar to post for a term of years. The 
first public school in Clarence district 
was built in 1866. It was a brick, con- 
taining three rooms, only two being used 
for school purposes. This school was the 
brick house later occupied by James A. 
Watkins, now the lot on which Mrs. El- 
vira Durham lives. A Mr. Strong started 
the term, but resigned and was succeeded 
by Dr. D. H. Matthews. The town soon 
found it had made a mistake in building 
so far from town, with no walk, and it 
was decided to locate a room uptown, and 
so the school house was shifted from 
place to place, as a vacant room could be 
obtained. For a term it held forth in a 
room on the first floor on the north side, 
then it journeyed over to a room on first 
floor, that was later destroyed by fire, on 
the lot where now stands Garrison's jew- 
elry store. Clarence holds one distinc- 
tion regarding schools that perhaps no 
other town on which the sun ever shown 
holds — that of having had at one time a 
saloon on the first floor and school room 
above. Clarence once taught the three 



R's in a second story with a saloon on the 
first floor on the lot now occupied by the 
"Courier" building. Clarence has had 
her ups and downs, but in the year 1873 
the present school building was erected, 
with three rooms on first and three in the 
second storj-, built by J. H. Martin. The 
first teacher was Eev. Steed, who, in 
1874-75, was paid $100 per month. He 
was followed by Professor Johnson, and 
later followed Miss Julia Jacobs, Mrs. 
Annette Merriman, then later follows 
Miss Brunner, Professors Marr and 
Highfill. Under the present management 
the school last year was raised from 
third to second grade and from second 
to first this year. It is on an upward 
grade and has an enterprising, wide- 
awake board of education. It might be 
mentioned here that a few years since, 
when Citizen Hoyt, who had a special in- 
terest in our school, bequeathed the 
school in trust what is known as the Hoyt 
fund, from which the school has been a 
beneficiary since. In appreciation, the 
board erected a monument to his memory 
on his grave in the city cemetery. 

FIRST PKrVATE SCHOOL. 

The first private school in Clarence 
was in the year '69- '70, and this school 
was taught in the Higbee & Brown build- 
ing, which was located about where the 
North Missouri Lumber Company now 
stands. It was taught by Prof. C. F. 
Benjamin. 

THE INDEPENDENT HOLINESS SCHOOL AT 
CLAEENCE. 

In the summer of 1906 the Independ- 
ent Holiness people, representing several 
states, bought the property formerly 



182 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



known as the Macon District Academy 
for $3,000 of Prof. Fred L. Thompson, 
Macon countj% the same to be used as a 
school house and place of worship. Eev. 
Sam Johnson was placed at the head. 
Eev. Johnson had a good patronage the 
first year. Various teachers have labored 
faithfully for the good of the school. In 
the year 1909, after a camp-meeting of 
ten days' duration, a committee was ap- 
pointed and bought of H. J. Simmons 
what was known as the Boarding House, 
consideration $5,500, and they are labor- 
ing faithfully to maintain a religious 
school for the young people. 

CHURCHES OF SHELBY. 

It has been impossible to secure data 
of all the churches of Shelby county. We 
have labored hard to secure the history 
of the most important strongholds, but 
the inactivity of those who should be in- 
terested in preserving the history of 
their church has curtailed the work to 
some extent. At the very dawn of the 
settlement of our great county, following 
the wake of the earliest pioneers, came 
the missionary to the frontier, laboring 
without money and without price in his 
work of love. "Preachin' day" was the 
event of the month, and on that day 
whole families turned out en masse as a 
social and spiritual event. At that early 
day the distributer of the word of (iod 
was a manual lal)orer, preaching when 
and where he may, as the o])portunity of- 
fered, laboring as did his fellowman dur- 
ing the week to supply his temporal 
needs. The Baptists, Methodists and 
Presbyterians were represented at the 
earliest day and the Christian Church 
followed but a little later. 



BAPTISTS. 

As early as 1835 the Baptists held ser- 
vices in Shelby county. Among the 
"earlies" came Eevs. William Fuqua, 
Jeremiah Taylor and M. Hurley. Though 
the opportunity for advanced work and 
attending success were meager, yet these 
men were just as earnest, fervent in 
spirit as the latter day saints. They la- 
bored without murmur for such volun- 
tarj' pay as was offered them. 

Shiloii Church, section 10—59—10, 
Bethel township, was organized the sec- 
ond Sunday in May, 1869, with thirty- 
eight members. The church has had a 
steady growth, its membership varying 
from 100 to 150 from time to time. As 
early as 1870, this church built a splendid 
$1,200 church, which has been improved 
from that time to date. The church was 
organized by Eevs. C. S. Taylor, John 
Easton, Nathan Ayers, George W. Eaton 
and E. Kaylor. 

MOUNT ZION CHURCH. 

This church, located in Tiger Fork 
township, on section 6 — 58 — 9, was or- 
ganized the fourth Sabbath in August, 
1838, by Eevs. Jeremiah Taylor and M. 
Hurley, with fourteen white members 
and two colored members, and has al- 
ways been a loyal, consistent body of 
Christians. While not a strong church 
in numliers. varying from a half liundred 
to one hundred from time to time. The 
early day ministers were : Jeremiah Tay- 
lor, John Keacli, Nathan Aj'ers, Frank 
Smith, P. N. Haycraft, E. Kaylor, San- 
ford Smith, George C. Brown, C. S. Tav- 
lor, William Pulliam, J. P. Griffith, J. H. 
Eubenson. A frame church was erected 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



183 



in 1856, costing $600. AV. Moffett was 
for years clerk of the church, being 
elected at the organization of that body. 

NORTH RIVER CHURCH 

Is situated in section 17, Taylor town- 
ship, and was organized in 1844. The 
early records disclose the following mem- 
bership : Shelton Dodd and wife, eTohn 
H. Garnett and wife, James Singleton 
and wife, Mosco Garnett and wife, C. L. 
Harris and wife and J. T. Garnett. In 
the year 1882 the church rebuilt a nice 
frame building, costing $1,000. Some of 
the officiating pastors were: John 
Sweeney, "William Pulliam, S. C. Good- 
rich, John A. Clark, James Holt and 
John Eaton. 

lobney's creek o. s. baptist church. 

Located in section 33 — 59 — 9, Tiger 
Fork township, was organized in 1835. 
The records disclose as its original mem- 
bership the names of Edmund Rutter. 
Elizabeth Rutter, Edward Wilson, Mary 
"Wilson, William ]\Ioffett, Evalina Elgin, 
Manly Elgin, Mary Louthan, Henry Lou- 
than, William and Nancy Randolph. This 
is what is known as the Henry Louthan 
Church, the man for whom it was named, 
because of his untiring energy and in- 
terest in its welfare and who preached 
for the congregation without charge. His 
love for his Master was his pay. He was 
succeeded after his long term of service 
by P. M. Turner. Their early church 
was a brick, valued at $1,200. This 
church was organized before the division 
of the Baptist church into the old and 
new school. (Further facts turn to his- 
tory of Tiger Fork township.) 



OAK ridge church. 

Situate in Jefferson township, some 
six miles southwest of Shelbina. The or- 
ganization was formed February 16, 
1867, the following family names being- 
found on their earliest records : The Kid- 
wells, Kimble, Webdells, Thrasher, Dun- 
gan, Clark, Perry Wrights, Smith and 
Thomas. In the year 1881-82 a frame 
building, 36x34 feet, was constructed at a 
cost of $1,200. Revs. ToUe, J. G. Swin- 
ney, W. B. Craig, A. G. Goodrich, Wil- 
ford Powers and other pastors have min- 
istered to the spiritual need of this flock. 

PRAIRIE view. 

Situate in Jackson township, 15 — 57 — 
9, and was organized February 5, 1876. 
The church was a consolidation of the 
Oak Dale, Friendship and Hunnewell 
churches, and its original membership 
numbered some fifty or sixty members. 
It soon grew into a strong church, and 
has effected much good. A building 
erected in 1876 cost $1,200. The Revs. 
Green, Terrill, Lile and Smoot have 
served this joeople. 

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF CLARENCE. 

The early records of the First Baptist 
Church of Clarence hears record it was 
organized October 27, 1877, with fifteen 
members, by J. S. Dingle, a missionary 
of the Bethel Association. The following 
officers were elected to steer its welfare : 
Deacons, J. W. "Veal and Washington 
Lostutter, and James Pollard, clerk. 
From the date of birth, 1877, to the year 
1890, they worshipped in the Presbyte- 
rian church, with Rev. Dingle as their 
first pastor. In the year 1890 the Bap- 



184 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



tists built a new home for their congre- 
gation, which was dedicated October 26, 
1890, by Dr. William H. Williams, one of 
the editors of the Central Baptist, St. 
Louis. The church has recently been im- 
proved. This membership, though num- 
bering only seventy-live members at the 
present date, is one of the most loyal 
churches in the county. At times it has 
been up-hill work, but they never waver. 
Untiring in their efforts, they have ac- 
complished much good. Rev. J. A. Johns, 
their recent pastor, was a great worker 
for his Master. He has just resigned 
and at this writing they are without a 
shepherd. 

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCn OF SHELBINA. 

The very early data of the Shelbina 
church was destroyed, but D. G. Minter 
states that the church was organized 
about 1863, with about a dozen members. 

For some years they worshipped in an 
old frame school building. Rev. Powers 
being their first pastor. He preached 
once a month and perhaps received about 
$50 salary per annum. In 1865 they 
moved their place of worship to Miller 
Hall, the present site of Minter & Smith 
dry goods store, they numbering about 
fifty. In 1866-67 the Baptists and Meth- 
odists built conjointly a brick house, 
where the Pictorium now stands. Here 
the church flourished. They called Rev. 
George Roby to preach twice a month, 
with a salary of $300, the Missouri board 
paying half. Then followed Revs. Busby, 
Chambliss, Dingle. During the thirteen 
or fourteen years of joint occupancy 
there was no friction, each worshipping 
independently, a board of trustees of 
three from each church having charge all 
those years. Only D. G. Minter remains 



to tell their struggles and their victories. 
In 1881 the Baptists bought a lot and 
erected a beautiful $6,000 house, which 
was dedicated in the fall of 1881 by Dr. 
Poi^e Yeaman, and Rev. J. S. Dingle was 
recalled for part time at $100. In 1884 
came Rev. 0. L. Brownson, called for all 
time at $700. Since that date the church 
has been im^jroved from time to time and 
several splendid ministers have served 
tiie congregation, among them Revs. J. 
R. Pentaft; J. M. P. Martin, Hunt and 
Scott, who served them faithfully sev- 
eral years. On Christmas day, 1910, 
Rev. Scott, beloved by all who knew him, 
preached his farewell sermon, and the 
church has called Rev. Volman, who 
comes highly recommended to this 
charge. This church at present has 250 
members. 

PRESBYTERIAN. 

This church in Shelby county is at low 
ebb. We have many good people — the 
very best of this denomination — but the 
following is scattered here and there, and 
but little public ministry is held in this 
county. In the earlier history of the 
county they were more prominent. No 
trace can be found of records which bear 
evidence of this division till the year 
1859, when a Presbyterian church was 
organized at Shelbyville. Previous to 
this date, even as early as 1836, came one 
Dr. David Nelson, of Mai'ion College, a 
man of eminence and imperishable mem- 
ory, also the prominent divine. Rev. AV. 
P. Cochrane, preaching the word of life 
to the early settlers and trying to estab- 
lish their doctrines on the frontier of the 
new country. Services were held from 
date to date and protracted or revival 
services succeeded from year to year, and 



HISTOltY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



185 



finally an organization was effected at 
Slielbyville. 

PKESBYTEKIANS AT SHELBYVILLE. 

This church was organized by Rev. W. 
P. Cochrane, July 30, 1859. The origi- 
nals were: Joseph M. Irwin, Esther 
^'aughn, Mary Vaughn, Elizabeth Ca- 
rothers. Dr. Darius Day, Peter B. Light- 
ner and Rachel Lightner. Some of the 
early day pastors were: Revs. George 
C. Crow, A. Steed, Duncan Brown, 
James Lafferty, J. C. Robinson, Edward 
Vincent and Blaney. The church build- 
ing, erected in 18G0 at a cost of $3,000, is 
in a good state of preservation. 

PLEASANT PKAIRIE CHURCH. 

Situate in section 18 — 50 — 10 and was 
organized in 1866. Its records bear fact 
of the originals as J. A. Ewing, Rebecca 
Ewing, Sallie Cardwell, Eva Cardwell, 
Martha Cardwell, James Cardwell, Su- 
san Cardwell, Joseph Blackwood, Ella 
Finley, Nancy Finley, Israel Cannon, 
Mary Cannon, Mary Cardwell, Susan 
Bostian and W. N. Bohon. In the year 
1869 a church was erected at a cost of 
$1,500. This was a loyal band of work- 
ers from the earliest date. 

CLAKEKCE PBESBYTEKIAN. 

This church was organized July 17, 
1859, by J. P. Winters, with a member- 
ship composed of James S. Martin, Mrs. 
Mary Martin, J. E. Martin, Susan M. 
HolhTiian, James B. Ryland, Mary Ry- 
land and R. A. Newcomb. The pastors 
having served this church are J. P. Win- 
ters, A. Steed, 1862-1872 ; James Laffer- 
ty, Duncan Brown, Carson, Robinson, E. 
Vincent. Rev. DeBolt was a late pastor 
who did much in building up this church. 



At present the church has no services. 
A lot was donated by a land company 
and at a cost of $1,200 the church build- 
ing was erected in 1860, and in 1883 the 
church was remodeled at an expenditure 
of $750. 

CUMBERLANDS. 

New Providence Church, situate in the 
southeastern corner of Taylor township, 
was organized on November 10, 1859, by 
Rev. S. C. Davidson, with the following 
original membership: Nathan Byars, J. 
P. Killinger, Hugh Kirkwood, S. P. 
Dunn and wife, Jacob Killinger and wife, 
Glenn Killinger, Mai'garet Kirkwood, 
Mary Evans and James G. Byars. Revs. 
Robert H. Mills, John AVinn, Nicholas 
Langston, J. R. Lowrance and T. G. Pool. 
A church was erected in 1874- at a cost of 
$1,000, and has been improved from time 
to time. 

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH. 

The first organization of this church 
effected in Shelby county was at the 
home of I. B. Lewis, in Salt River town- 
ship, in the fall of 1837, when services 
were held for some. In 1838 a Sunday 
school in the Bacon school house; in 
1850 a frame church was built on land 
donated by George Bacon, of Hannibal, 
and the church was named Bacon 
Cliai3el. 

Bacon Chapel. — The present building 
was erected in 1870. Among the minis- 
ters who have served this historic church 
are: Revs. William Pryor, Conley, 
Smith, T. Ashby, Tyson Dines, Martin 
L. Eads, James M. Green, Jacob Sigler, 
James Wainwright, James B. Callaway, 
E. K. Miller, James Monroe, T. DeMoss, 
L. Bush, W. W. McMurry, G. Tanquary, 



186 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



A. C. Browning, T. A. Allison, M. L. 
Shemwell. The present pastor is H. W. 
Buckner. The Sunday school superin- 
tendent is Nathan Taylor. 

Shelbi/ville. — This church was organ- 
ized about 1839 and reorganized in 1844. 
The present building was erected during 
the pastorate of Eev. HoUiday and val- 
ued at $7,500. The present pastor is 
Eev. T. E. Moseley. J. J. Hewitt has 
been Sunday school superintendent for 
many years. The membership numbers 
296. 

Shelbina. — The church was organized 
in 1858. The first meeting was held in 
the Thomas hotel, where the "Waverly 
now stands. The congregation first wor- 
shipped in the school house, later build- 
ing a church with the Baptists. In 1867 
a brick church was erected, and in 1882 
this was superseded by another brick 
structure, which in its turn has been su- 
perseded by the present handsome 
church building, which was erected in 
1907, during the pastorate of Rev. W. A. 
Hanna, at a cost of $22,000. The present 
pastor is Rev. J. X. Boyd and the Sun- 
day school superintendent is Dr. Lyell. 
The church has a membership of 600 and 
the Sunday school 400. Among the 
former pastors were : Revs. "\V. "W. I\Ic- 
Murry, W. Bell, L. Rush. B. H. Spencer, 
George Warren, A. B. Culbertson, Rob- 
ert White. J. A. Snarr and T. H. B. 
Anderson. 

Clarence. — The first preacher to hold 
services in the town was Rev. D. C. 
Blackwell. In 1872 a class was organized 
by Rev. W. W. ]\IcMurry, presiding 
elder, the first preacher being Rev. L. 
Rush. Of the charter members Mrs. 
Mary A. Jacobs alone remains a memlier 
of this church. In 1877, during the i)as- 



torate of the Rev. W. M. Wainwright, a 
church building was erected, of which 
building committee the sole survivor is 
C. M. Shackelford. This church was 
altered and repaired during the jjastor- 
ate of Rev. R. M. Dameron. The present 
splendid building was erected at a cost 
of $16,500 during the pastorate of Rev. 
H. H. Johnson, the building committee 
being H. J. Simmons, A. R. Tucker, E. 
E. Casler and 0. C. Perry. Among the 
other pastors who have served this 
church have been Revs. A. P. Linn, W. 
A. Tarwater, John Holland, C. T. Mc- 
Anally, W. 0. Medley and John W. Kim- 
brell. The present membership is 240. 
The Sunday school superintendent is H. 
J. Simmons and the membership is 200. 

Bethany. — In the eastern jiortion of 
Black Creek township and was organized 
March 4, 1882. The charter members 
were: R. J. Taylor and wife, George 
Carmichael and wife, Lula Z. Taylor, C. 

E. Scott, Angle Foreman. Thomas Tin- 
gle and wife, Eliza Smith, J. II. Car- 
michael and wife, Levena Foreman, 
Sarah Smith, Sallie Raine, Lucia Car- 
michael. A frame house, costing $1,200, 
was completed in 1881 and dedicated in 
July, 1884. Among the pastors have 
been W. A. Toole, J. M. O'Brien, O. B. 
Holliday, J. J. Reed, E. J. Speer and B. 

F. Leake. 

Tlie other chuvches forming the Shel- 
byville circuit, which has a membership 
of 182, are Morris Chapel, O'Brien 
Chapel and Duncan Chapel. 

Oak Dale. — This church was organized 
soon after Bacon Chaiiel. The ])resent 
church was erected in 19()S, during the 
])astorate of Rev. Smith, and is valued at 
al)out $;),500. The present ])astor is Rev. 
O. Blackburn. Among the other churches 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



18^ 



in Shelby county are Wesley chapel, 
four miles northeast of Clarence, which 
is served by the Clarence pastor. 

Lowman chapel, part of the Shelbina 
circuit. 

The total membership in the county is 
2.250. 

FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 

Clarence First Methodist Episcopal 
church was organized in 1866 by Rev. 
John Gillis and Dr. N. Shumate. In the 
year 1881 the present brick structure 
was built at a cost of $3,250. Among its 
pastors we find Revs. John Gillis, Com- 
fort Ransom, G. W. "Walker, A. Chester, 
S. Knupj), R. Carlyon, 0. Beistle and J. 
A. Westernian, the present pastor. The 
present membership numbers 150 loyal, 
faithful workers. 

The Berean M. E. church, at Shelby- 
ville, was organized January 13, 1850, by 
Christopher J. Honts, presiding elder 
Hannibal district, and J. M. Chivingtou. 
The original members were Leonard 
Dobbin and wife, James W. Ganby and 
wife, Joseph Hitch and wife, Daniel 
Wood and wife, E. B. Stover and wife 
and John Short and wife. 

The first church building was erected 
in 1860 at a cost of $2,500. It was re- 
moved from the original location to its 
present site in 1874, repaired at consider- 
able cost and dedicated by Rev. N. P. 
Heath, of St. Louis, and rededicated by 
Dr. William Taylor, of India. After the 
organization of the M. E. Church, South, 
in 1846, the M. E. church had no organ- 
ized church in Shelby county until 1850. 
The most of its members were taken into 
the M. E. Church, South, where they re- 
mained until the ]\fission Conference of 
the M. E. church was organized bv Bish- 



ops James and Morris, at the request of 
the general conference in 1848. 

Shelbina M. E. church was built in 
1889-90. The membership was small, and 
in 1905 a federation took place and the 
membership of this congregation for the 
most part united with the M. E. Church, 
South. 

The Union Grove church, where a 
Methodist Episcopal class is maintained, 
was built in 1873. The present member- 
ship is forty. 

Mt. Pleasant M. E. church was built in 
1887. Present membershiiD is thirty-five. 

Evans Chapel M. E. church was built 
in 1881. Present membership is forty- 
five. 

Forest Grove M. E. church was built 
about 1887. Present membership is 
thirty-five. 

Epworth M. E. church was built about 
1884. Present membership is thirty. 

Bethel M. E. church was built in 1890. 
Present membership is 100. 

CATHOLIC CHURCH. 

St. Rose's Catholic churcli, located at 
Lakenan, is the stronghold of this church 
in the county. It was erected by Rev. E. 
A. Casey in 1887.- The number of Cath- 
olics at present attending this church is 
about 250. Father Collins is the present 
officiating priest. 

St. Mary's Catholic church, situated 
at Shelbina, was built by Rev. James 
O'Reilly in the year 1879. Previous to 
this date quite a strong membership held 
services at Miller's hall. The present 
membership is about 160. Father Col- 
lins is the present pastor. 

St. Patrick's Roman Catholic church 
at Clarence was built in 1883. It is a 
frame building and was erected at a cost 



188 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



of $2,000 and lias been well preserved. 
Its membership varies from 100 to 150. 
Father Collins is the present pastor of 
the church. 

hager's gbove catholic church. 

The building is located about two miles 
north and east of Hager's Grove and 
was erected in 1866, but was destroyed by 
fire in 1867. The church was rebuilt in 
1871. There are at present about sixty 
members who worship here, and the pas- 
tor's name is Eev. Father Adjudus 
Budde. 

HTJNNEWELL CATHOLIC CHURCH. 

There is also a Catholic church at this 
place which was erected at an early date 
in the history of Shelby county. The 
building, however, became old and inad- 
equate to serve the purpose for which it 
was built, and in 1905 it was torn down 
and a nice, new building erected in the 
place of the old one. The membership is 
about 100, who are under the pastorate 
of Rev. Father Connelly, whose home is 
in Monroe City. 

HOLINESS CHURCHES OF THE COUNTY. 

Since the year 1908 Clarence has had 
Holiness camp meetings. It is the inde- 
pendent bi-anch of the Holiness church 
and was moved from Stephen's Park, 
Macon, at the above date. It was lo- 
cated here on the Independent Holiness 
school grounds until 1910, and next year 
it will be held at Macon. 

It is a large gathering and ministers 
come here from all over the United 
States. There is a large tabernacle tent 
for the services, one large tent for dining 
(piarters and some fifty or sixty are scat- 
tered about the grounds for the campers. 



Services begin at sunrise and close any 
time at night. There is great enthusiasm 
and many are converted. The church is 
making a rapid growth. As to the Holi- 
ness church inception in these parts, one 
closely connected with its growth gives 
the following history : 

"The Holiness movement from the 
west was inaugurated by Elder "W. B. 
Colt, of Illinois, in the spring of 1875. 
The first meetings were held in Hannibal. 
It was not the original intention to estab- 
lish another church, but simply to lift 
church members and others up to a 
higher plane of worship. When Mr. Colt 
left Hannibal his work in Missouri was 
continued by Rev. A. M. Kiergan, then 
pastor of the Arch Street M. E. Church, 
South, at Hannibal. "\Miile yet a member 
of the conference Mr. Kiergan conducted 
Holiness meetings. These were attended 
by members of all denominations as well 
as the non-elect. Complaints were poured 
into the conference that there was a 
fanatical preacher over at Hannibal who 
was disintegrating the churches by tell- 
ing the members that they were not good 
enough and needed finishing touches put 
on their religion. 

' ' Mr. Kiergan pursued the even tenor 
of his way, all the while striving to in- 
crease the interest in the Holiness move. 
He was ably assisted by his wife, who 
was almost as good a talker and fully as 
earnest as himself. They conducted the 
first Holiness camp meeting west of the 
Mississippi river in 1877. The site of the 
camp was a picturesque grove west of 
Hannibal. The daily attendance was tre- 
mendous. Mr. Kiergan estimates there 
were frequently as many as 5,000 people 
on the grounds. No adequate tent could 
be secured, and the trees formed the only 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



189 



canopy. This meeting served to put the 
Holiness move in the west on a firm 
foundation. Tlie congregations were 
made up of people from various remote 
parts of the state, as well as the neigh- 
boring counties. "When they returned 
home they began talking up the new faith 
and did an earnest missionary work. 

"It was not a great while before Mr. 
Kiergan found more Holiness people on 
his hand than he knew what to do with. 
Many of his converts had not united with 
any church and seemed disinclined to do 
so. The reason was they felt it would be 
retrogression to unite with anybody hold- 
ing less advanced religous ideas than 
those taught at the pioneer camp meet- 
ing. So Holiness churches, strictly inde- 
pendent, were established in those com- 
munities where there were sufficient 
members of the sect. Where there were 
no churches the meetings were held at 
residences. Anyone who had a mind to 
could do the preaching. A characteristic 
of the Holiness people is that nearly 
every man, woman and child among them 
can get up at a moment's notice and de- 
liver a good talk on the faith that is in 
them. All of them are in the habit of re- 
lating their exjieriences before large con- 
gregations. And they enjoy to the ut- 
most this part of the services. When a 
man feels called upon to enter the min- 
istry they let him go in without objection 
if he is sound in the doctrine and of good 
reputation. No examining committee 
worries him with fine points of ecclesias- 
tical law. The people among whom he 
has lived are suj)posed to know whether 
he is a fit subject or not, and if they rec- 
ommend him for the ministry there is no 
red tape between that and his ordination. 



The question of salary never worries a 
Holiness preacher, because he rarely gets 
one. If he goes to a community where 
the membership is fairly strong, he may 
get irregular donations of money and 
things to eat. If he doesn't, he goes to 
work at something to make a living and 
preaches on Sunday just as hard as if he 
were a high-salaried prelate." 

CLARENCE INDEPENDENT HOLINESS CHURCH. 

We have not been able to get data con- 
cerning the Holiness church of Shelby 
county, but there is located at Clarence 
the Independent Holiness church, whose 
membership worship in the college lo- 
cated at this place. The church is of re- 
cent birth and the growth has been rapid. 

UNION INDEPENDENT HOLINESS CHURCH. 

There is also an Independent Holiness 
church located near Otter Creek, south 
of Clarence. The congregation built a 
nice frame church house in the 80 's. It 
has a strong membership for a rural lo- 
cation, numbering about forty members. 

SHELBYVILLE MISSOURI HOLINESS ASSOCIA- 
TION. 

In Shelbyville is located a membership 
of the Missouri Holiness Association. 
This branch has a goodly following at 
this point. It was organized by Eev. 
O'Brien, the father of that branch. They 
bought the M. E. Church house there and 
have an earnest, loyal church. 

LENTNER INDEPENDENT HOLINESS CHURCH. 

The Lentner Independent Holiness 
Church is the newest one in the county. 
They have a neat little church house and 
a good membership for a young church. 
It has only been organized a few years. 



190 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



THE MENNONITES. 

There is but one church of this denomi- 
nation in the county. It is located near 
Cherry Box and has been an established 
church there for many years. This sect 
of Christian people liave some very 
sti"ong convictions on certain things. One 
is they believe a Christian should not 
take an oath, hold ofiSce or enter military 
service. They also believe the New Tes- 
tament is the only rule of faith and that 
infants should not be baptized. Their 
local preachers are chosen by casting lots 
by the male members of the congrega- 
tion. The women distinguish themselves 
by wearing sunbonnets and the men by 
wearing smooth upper lips. Some of the 
families who hold to tliis faith are the 
Detwilers, Bisseys, Hersheys and John- 
sons. They are among the best people 
of the county. 

HISTORY OF CHEISTTAN CHUECH, SHELBY CO. 

By .J. H. Wood, Pastor Christian Church, 
Shelbina, Mo. 

The Christian church in Shelby coun- 
ty, Missouri, numbers a membership of 
about 1,700, and has seventeen organized 
churches as follows : Shelbyville, Shelbina, 
Clarence, Enterprise (Union), Maud, 
Leutner, Hager's Grove, Cherry Box, 
Leonard, Berea, Bethel, Concord, Emden, 
Fairview, Mt. Era, Lakenan and Hunne- 
well. There has for many years been a 
county organization of the Christian 
churches with a president and secretary 
and treasurer who co-operate with the 
churches in any work for the mutual 
good and establish churches at new 
points. The churches at Maud, Emden, 
Cherry Box, Fairview and Bethel were 
stjirted by the county work, and nuiny 



other churches have been aided and 
helijed in times of discouragement. J. H. 
"Wood, of Shelbina, has been president of 
the county board for eleven years. T. P. 
Manuel, of Clarence, is secretary, and 
George B. Bedwell, of Shelbina, treas- 
urer. Besides there are seventeen vice- 
presidents, one from each congregation, 
as follows : W. M. Hanly, A. Cooper, Dr. 
Ellis Roy, Carleton Smith, T. S. Baldwin, 
Hugo Bowling, J. P. Smith, J. H. Tarbet, 
Henry Kilb, Enoch Turner, Mintie Da- 
vis, T. S. Damrell, John Chapman, "Wil- 
liam Cadwell, Kenton Brown, Mr. Alex- 
ander, of Hager's Grove, and Mr. 
Turner, of Cherry Box. 

The first preaching in Shelby county 
by a minister of the Christian church 
was by Elder Jacob Creath, who held a 
meeting on Black Creek in 1888. and a 
church was organized in Shelbyville soon 
after. 

Slielbina. 

The Shelbina Christian Church was or- 
ganized in 1866 or 1867 by Elder T. M. 
Allen, of Columbia, Missouri. There had 
been occasional preaching before this in 
residences and in the public school build- 
ing. In 1868 the old brick church, which 
has served to this day, was built. Some 
of the early members were Thomas 
Mitchell, Leroy Dye, Sarah "Walker, C. 
H. True and wife, AV. R. Stemmons and 
wife, Mrs. Sue E. Hanly, Daniel Givan 
and wife and many others. The Shel- 
bina church has been served by many 
splendid pastors in its history — "William 
Featherstone, AV. G. Surber, H. P. Davis, 
E. C. Browning, C. B. Newnan, 0. P. 
Shrout, L. J. Marshall, AVilliam Roe and 
J. H. "V\^ood, who has been pastor of the 
church since 1898. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



191 



The church has had its iips and downs, 
but has made a steady and substantial 
growth, now numbering 325 members, 
275 of whom are local resident members 
and include many of the best Shelby 
county families. This congregation is 
just completing a beautiful uew church 
building on Center street, at the cost, 
complete, including furnishings and the 
lot on which it is built, of $20,000. The 
present officers of this church are : Eld- 
ers, W. M. Hanly, W. L. Shouse, W. S. 
AVood, W. S. Orr; deacons, George B. 
Bedwell, Charles White, James E. Rags- 
dale, Lee Francis, D. H. Tillett, Dr. E. 
:M. Mills, E. T. Givan, Harry J. Libby 
and Oliver J. Lloyd. 

W. L. Shouse is superintendent of the 
Bible school ; Bess Dickerson, organist ; 
Mrs. Mary Lyell, leader of the choir; 
Corinne Bragg, organist; Mrs. Kittie 
Francis, president of the Ladies' Aid So- 
ciety; E. T. Hockaday, president of the 
Y. P. S. C. E. 

Shelby ville. 

The Shelbyville Christian Church was 
organized in 1839. Some of the first 7 
members were: William Gooch, Tandy 
Gooch, William S. Chinn, Joseph Chick, 
Hiram Eookwood, Warren Hall and Ze- 
rellda Hill. The church was reorganized 
in 1874, with Catherine Collier, Jane E. 
Black, Eliza J. West, Sallie Oaks, Sarah 
J. Hiter, Sarah Cariey, Jane Brauuer, 
Lucy S. Chinn, J. M. Collier, Maria L. 
Sullivan, Cordelia P. Dobyns and others. 
Their first church building was erected 
in 1844. They now have a commodious 
church building with modern equipment, 
valued at $7,000. This church is a pros- 
perous organization, and has a member- 
ship of 270 and one of the best Bible 



schools in the county, with W. W. Mitch- 
ell as superintendent. Some of the offi- 
cers at present are : L. G. Scofield, W. 
C. Chick, Magruder Pickett, John Gooch, 
A. Cooper, T. B. Damrell, Claud Ander- 
son, George Miller, Aubrey Davis and 
Reason Baker. 

Leonard. 

The first Christian churcli organized 
in Taylor township was in the house of 
Lewis H. Gillaspy, who moved to the 
townshiiD in 1838 from Shelbyville, built 
a log house for his family, and his home 
became the center of the first small band 
of disciples in that eommimity. Here in 
this home Jacob Creath and other pio- 
neer preachers proclaimed the simple 
gospel. In 1866, after the war times. 
Elder John P. Tandy held a meeting- 
three and one-half miles northwest of 
the present town of Leonard and orgau- 
ized a Christian church. Among the first 
members were : Lewis H. Gillaspy, John 
M. Alexander, William Baker, Preston 
Manuel, Andrew P. Mc Williams, Jasper 
N. McWilliams and others. November 
7, 1867, a large hewn log church house 
was raised and was known as Antioch 
Church. In August, 1873, E. C. Brown- 
ing held a meeting of far-reaching re- 
sults, the whole connuunity was aroused 
and enlisted in the church. J. M. Chev- 
ront, Alexander Lorentz, Benjamin F. 
Smith, Dr. G. L. Smith, Samuel A. Ma- 
gruder, John T. Tuggle, William Gaines 
and many others were converted. In 1882 
John T. Welch held a meeting in a hall in 
Leonard which was very successful and 
resulted in steps being taken at once for 
the erection of a substantial frame build- 
ing in the town of Leonard. This church 
was dedicated in 1885. The Leonard 



192 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



Christian Church has probably 175 mem- 
bers and has been the mother of the 
church at Cherry Box and Berea. 

Clarence Christian Church. 

A few members of the Christian 
church in Clarence had occasional 
preaching in the early 70 's, but there was 
no church house or regular worship. In 
the year 188l' Rev. John T. Welch reor- 
ganized the little band into a congrega- 
tion and gave them regular ministerial 
service. For several years their services 
were held either in the Methodist or 
Presbyterian church. Some of the early 
officers of this church were: George W. 
Chinn, A. W. MeWilliams, Al Chinn, L. 
8. Wright, Rufus Farrell, Sr., E. Blakey, 
John E. Palmer and Jacob Melson. J. 
T. Welch, W. G. Surber and W. P. Dor- 
sey were among the earliest preachers. 
In 1884 a new frame church was erected 
which supplied the wants of the congre- 
gation until 1908, when a new modern 
brick building was erected at the cost of 
$10,000. This church now has a member- 
ship of about 200, with R. B. Havener as 
pastor. E. C. Shain, J. T. Garnett, T. P. 
Manuel and T. H. Phillips are elders. 
William McQuary, J. R. Snodgrass, C. 
W. Adams, T. M. Byland, G. B. Elliso 
and J. A\". Stark are deacons. This 
church, equipped as it now is, should do 
a great work. 

Union Chrisiiaii Church. 

In the early 60 's Rev. John P. Tandy, 
an old ]iioneer Christian preacher, fre- 
(juently held services at a school house 
southwest of Clarence. In 1873 a Union 
church house was built by the members 
of the Cliristian, Bajitist and ^letli'odist 
churches and these organizations all wor- 



shipped and had services alternately and 
are doing so at this time. Among the 
first officers of the Christian church con- 
gregation were William Cax-ver, Donald- 
son, John Sage, James E. Burns and 
Thomas Hagan. Rev. James Wright, of 
Macon, was the first pastor. This con- 
gregation numbers about seventy-five 
members and has regular services. ^lany 
substantial farmers are among the mem- 
bership. This church has furnished large 
re-inforcements to the other congrega- 
tions, in the towns especially. 

Christian Church at Lakenan. 

The Lakenan Christian church was or- 
ganized in 1887 on Christmas daj' by H. 
F. Davis. S. D. Proffitt, B. E. Washburn 
and W. S. Orr were selected as elders, 
J. A. Irwine and Joseph Washburn as 
deacons; W. S. Orr, clerk and treasurer. 
This little church has been one of the 
most plucky and active little churches in 
the county for its numbers. It has given 
many good members by removal to other 
churches in the county and even in other 
states. 

J. M. Vawter, J. C. Davis, C. R. Daniel 
and others have been pastors of this 
church. The membership at present is 
about thirty-five. 

Emden Christian Church. 

This church was organized by W. M. 
Roe about ISOfi. It has some choice peo- 
ple in its membership and does as much 
for the number of members as any 
church in Shell)y county. R. H. Havener 
is the present pastor and is much be- 
loved by this people for his sjilendid ser- 
vice. Their present membership is about 
fifty and they have a good Bible school. 
A. Martin, Richard Wood, James Green, 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



193 



J. M. Davis, Lee Turner, Lesley Robb 
and Bro. McGlothliu are the officers of 
this church. 

Hunnewell Christian Church. 

The Christian church had a small or- 
ganization, but no place of worship, as 
early as 1870. This was disbanded some- 
time in the 80 's, the members going to 
Mountjoy and a church north of Hunne- 
well. About 1890 there was a reorgani- 
zation and a church house was built. 
This organization prospered. Dr. L. W. 
Dallas was a tower of strength in this 
church for years and was ably assisted 
by many good workers. This congrega- 
tion has a membership of nearly 100 and 
a splendid Bible school, and is an active, 
aggressive body of splendid people. The 
present officers are: Mr. Baldrich, Jo- 
seph Hickman, George McClure, Dr. 
Furgeson, Charles Hickman, Ollie Howe 
and Frank Reed. 

Hager's Grove Christian Church. 

The Christian church at Hager's 
Grove was organized by Rev. John P. 
Tandy in' 18G7. Among its first officers 
and active members were J. M. Chinno- 
worth, Jonathan Peoples, John Patton 
and Samuel S. Patton. This old church 
has sent many substantial members to 
many other churches and has done an 
abiding work in Shelby county. The 
present membership is eighty or more. 

Maud Christian Church. 

The Christian church was built during 
the summer of 1896, with W. F. Miller, 
J. S. Daniel and P. F. Daniel as a build- 
ing committee and F. G. Blakey and Ed 
Smock as collectors. This is the only 
church in the county so far as we know 



which was built before there was an or- 
ganization. The church was dedicated 
October 25, 1896, by Rev. G. W. Buckner, 
who followed with a meeting and organ- 
ized this congregation with seventy-six 
members. J. S. Daniel, "Will Naylor, Ed 
Smock and T. H. Phillips were selected 
as elders and F. G. Blakey, F. M. Dale, 
Robert Hanger and James B. Bryan as 
deacons. Since that time the following- 
have been leaders and officers: Joe 
Stewart, Harve Doctor, Fred Heathmau, 
O. C. Davis, Charles Naylor, Ed Smock, 
Jr., Ed Daniel and Thomas Baldwin. 

This church has had as pastors and 
evangelists C. J. Lockhart, Simpson Ely, 
A. B. Elliott, J. W. Davis, C. J. Weldou, 
J. H. T. Stewart, J. H. Bryan, C. V. 
Pierce, Allen Hitch, J. H. Harris and 
C. W. Worden. 

The present membership of the church 
is eighty to 100. » 

Cherry Box Christian Church. 

The church at Cherry Box was built 
in 1897. Dr. Luther Turner was the 
moving spirit and gave liberally for the 
building. The organization drew quite 
a number from the Leonard Christian 
church. This church has had a prosper- 
ous history and numliers probably 150 
members at the present time. Many in- 
fluential and substantial people are iden- 
tified with the work and progress of this 
splendid church. 

Berea Christian Church. 

This church was a daughter of the 
Leonard Christian church and is sit- 
uated in a splendid community, and has 
had a splendid record for good. It has 
suffered by removals as much as any 
church in the county perhaps and this 



194 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



fact has discouraged them at times. 
They have a membership of about 
eighty. 

Bethel Christian Church. 

This church was organized in 1906 by 
Rev. Carr, following a tent meeting of 
several weeks. This meeting was held 
under the auspices of the county board. 
They have a good organization and a 
good Bible school. The church uimibers 
about forty members. Rev. Byron In- 
gold preaches for them. Henry Kelb, P. 
D. Shouse and others are the leaders 
here. They have no church house of 
their own, but plan to build very soon. 

Fairview Christian Church. 

This church was the result of a tent 
meeting held by J. H. Bryan in the sum- 
mer of 1898. The church was built and 
dedicated in 1899 by J. H. Wood, who 
was pastor for several years. T. S. 
Damrell, James Baker, A. E. Jordon, 
Tom Stone, B. G. Blackford, Frank 
Sherwood, Virgil Alexander, Chester 
Bethards and others have been oflBcers 
during the years since organization. 
This church has about seventy-five mem- 
bers, but is now without a pastor. 

Lentner Christian Church. 

This church of 100 members was or- 
ganized sometime in the 90 's, and a sub- 
stantial frame building was erected. Rev. 
Alfred Munyou has preached for them 
for a nmnber of years, and they have en- 
joyed quite a measure of prosperity un- 
der his ministi-y. Thej^ have a good 
Bible school and take pride in keeping a 
church up in good shape. 



Mt. Era Christian Church. 

This church has had a checkered his- 
tory. The building was first erected at 
Walkersville, afterwards moved to the 
l)resent site north of Salt river, near the 
Shelby County Railroad. It once had a. 
good membership, but removals and 
death has discouraged them and they 
now number only about twenty-five. 
They have no regular preaching, but 
have a Union Bible School during the 
summer. 

Concord Christian Church. 

The Concord Christian church was or- 
ganized December 1, 1883, in Tiger Fork 
township. A frame building was erected 
the year of the organization at a cost of 
$1,200. The organization was effected 
by Rev. J. P. Tandy. Some of the char- 
ter members were: L. Hunter, AVilliam 
Daniels, S. I. Bragg, William Peak, 
James DeMoss, Levi Plight, Millie 
Plight, Mary Bragg, Martha W. Triplett, 
M. Peak, Alice Browning, Caroline 
Dougherty, Ida Dougherty, Mary E. 
Wolf, Susan Melburn, E. P. Allen, Amer- 
ica Allen, Mahala Siminon, A. S. Rife, 
G. A. Rife, John McGraw, Eliza J. 
Bragg, Benjamin Talbott, Mary J. 
Pierce, Walker Pue, Ellen Siminon, 
Mary E. Jones, Charles Siminon, Eliza- 
beth Poor and F. M. Poor. 

This church has served splendidly in 
its community and today has an aggres- 
sive organization of about 100 members 
and a good Bible School. Oscar Ingold, 
of Canton, is pastor. Concord can be 
counted on in every good work in the 
county. 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



195 



A Brief History of the Evangelical Asso- 
ciation in Shelby County, Missouri. 

The Evangelical Association o r i g i - 
nated through the labors of Jacob Al- 
bright, who was born near Pottstown, 
Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, May 
1, 1759. In his thirty-second year he 
was soundly converted through the la- 
bors of Adam Riegel, an earnest minis- 
ter, who was not connected with any 
church. 

After his conversion he became inter- 
ested in the salvation of his neighbors, 
and five years later he tried to preach 
among the Germans; in barns, private 
residences, school houses, groves, or any 
place where he was able to gather a few 
of the people together to listen to the 
gospel. Those that were converted he 
organized into classes for spiritual over- 
sight. In the early history of our church 
it was named "The So-called Albright 
People." In the year 1816 the name of 
l| * ' Evangelical Association "was adopted. 
It was customary from the beginning of 
the organization among the iireachers 
and members to call themselves "This 
Association," or "Our Association" 
(Gemeinschaft), hence the adoption of 
the name Evangelical Association. 

This association is Methodistic in its 
doctrine and polity. It has a large pub- 
lishing house in Cleveland, Ohio, and a 
splendid college at Naperville, 111. 

The work of the Evangelical Associ- 
ation in Shelby county, Missouri, consists 
of three churches, namely : Zion church, 
situated on section 36, township 59, range 
11, west; Ebenezer church, situated on 
section 8, township 58, range 11, west, 
and Leslie church, situated on section 



33, township 58, range 11. These three 
churches, with a fourth church in Bloom- 
ington, Macon county, Missouri, consti- 
tute what is known as ' ' The Shelby Mis- 
sion Field" of the Evangelical church. 

In the year 1866, Eev. J. G. Pfeifer, a 
minister of the newly organized Kansas 
Conference of the Evangelical Associ- 
ation, who was living at Bloomington, 
Macon county, Missouri, and preaching 
to the Evangelical congregation of that 
place, commenced to preach in the home 
of Rev. C. Stauffer, east of Bethel, Shel- 
by county, Missouri, and also at the 
Messner school house, south of Bethel. 

These services were conducted in the 
German language, and all of the pioneer 
preachers of the Evangelical church in 
Shelby county were Germans. In a year 
or so these services were moved to the 
Short school house, two miles west of 
Bethel, where the first class of the Evan- 
gelical church in Shelby county was or- 
ganized by Rev. J. G. Pfeifer, February, 
1868, with the following charter mem- 
bers : 

Rev. C. Stauffer, Susanna Stauffer, 
Phillip Christman, Mrs. P. Christman, 
Charles Christman, Fred Christman, 
Caroline Christman, Michael Fye, Mrs. 
M. Fye, Jacob "Wise, John Stauffer, 
Mrs. J. Stauffer, John C. Bower, Fred- 
erika Schnaufer, Henry Schnaufer, Fer- 
dinand Wester, Mrs. F. Wester. 

This class worshiped in the Short 
school house until the year 1870, when 
they hired a hall in Bethel, Missouri, and 
in this year our first church Sunday 
school in Shelby county was organized 
and it has been an evergreen Sunday 
school for forty years. 

In the summer of 1879 the class moved 



196 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



their place of worship back to the Short 
school house and under the able leader- 
ship of Eev. C. Linge they laid the 
foundation for a church building- on sec- 
tion 36, township 59, range 11 west. 
This building was finished that year and 
formally dedicated to the worship of 
God in April of the following year by 
Rev. J. G. Pfeifer, who was at this time 
a presiding elder in the Kansas Confer- 
ence. 

For thirty years this church has been 
the center of religious activity in that 
community. In the Sunday school. 
Young People's Alliance and preaching 
ser\'ices this church has advocated a 
genuine experience in the forgiveness of 
sins; this to be manifested always by 
a righteous life. 

From tliis congregation have come 
four noted workers in our church, name- 
ly, Eev. "W. A. Schuttee, a former pre- 
siding elder in the Illinois Conference 
of the Evangelical Association, now the 
jiastor of the First Evangelical church 
at Naperville, 111., and Rev. Wesley 
Stauffer. who died April 12, 1900, at 
Holtou, Kan., in the fourth year of his 
pastorate of the Evangelical church in 
that city. These two noted brethren, 
with their wives, are a quartette of work- 
ers that any church would bo glad to 
honor. They were converted through 
the labors of our ministers, trained in 
our Sunday Schools, educated in our col- 
lege, and went out into the l^ord's har- 
vest field with the endorsement of the 
Zion class, and under the blessing of God 
became workmen that needeth not to be 
ashamed rightly dividing the word of 
truth. 

This church was one of the strong 
countiw churches of Shelbv countv, but 



today it is reduced in numbers. Is its 
mission about finished! We hope not, 
but trust that it may stand for thirty 
years more, telling to the traveler the 
faith of man in an Omniijotent God. 

The Ehenezer Class. 

Rev. J. G. Pfeifer on his trips from 
Bloomington to Bethel, in the years of 
186G to 1868, often stop])ed in the com- 
munity about seven miles north of where 
Clarence, Mo., is now situated. He was 
asked by the people of this neighbor- 
hood to christen their children and to 
perform other duties pertaining to his 
calling. The majority of the people in 
this community wei'e English and Rev. 
J. G. Pfeifer usually preached in Ger- 
man. There was little preaching done 
by him in this neighborhood. 

" The Rev. C. Timmer, Rev. B. Hoffman, 
Rev. Koepsal, Rev. Ferdinand Harder, 
also visited among the people in this 
neighborhood as they went from their 
home in Bloomington to preach to the 
Evangelical congregation at Bethel. Mo. 

In the years 1874 and 1875 the Rev. 
M. Alsbalch, who had charge of the 
Evangelical congregations at Blooming- 
ton and Bethel, preached occasionally in 
this neighborhood. 

In the year 1875 Rev. C. Stauffer had 
charge of the work at Bloomington and 
Bethel, commenced regular preaching 
services in the Rawson school house and 
organized a class with the following 
charter members: 

John Schwada, Clara Schwada, Henry 
Leu t cherdi ng, Lydia Leutcherding, 
Richard Dove, Henry Wilkie, Sophia 
Wilkie, S. Rawson, Mrs. R. Rawson, 
George Farber, Louise Farber, Rosa 
Farber. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



197 



Some time in the year 1878 the people 
living in the neighborhood of the Raw- 
son school house oonohided to build a 
union church building. This church was 
dedicated as the "Eawson Chapel" by 
Eudolph l)ul)l)s, a bishop of the Evan- 
gelical church. This chapel was used by 
the various religious societies in that 
community, the Evangelical society hav- 
ing a stated time each month that the 
l)reacher in charge of their work was 
expected to preach. This building was 
destroyed by lire in the beginning of the 
year 1894. 

The Evangelical congregation having 
no place to worship, determined to build 
a church building of their own. Under 
the leadership of Rev. M. AValter the 
building was finished in the fall of 1894 
and on November 11 of the same year 
it was dedicated as "The Ebenezer 
Church" of the Shelby Mission Field 
by John J. Esher, a bishop in the Evan- 
gelical church. 

A church Sunday School was organ- 
ized and is one of the evergreen Sunday 
Schools in the rural districts of Shelliy 
county. 

A glance over the list of members be- 
longing to this chureli during the last 
sixteen years reveals the names of many 
an earnest, quiet worker in the Lord's 
vineyard who received their early re- 
ligious training in its Sunday School, 
the Young People's Alliance, Women's 
^lissionary Society and prayer meetings 
held by this Evangelical congregation. 

This ])lain chapel has been the birth- 
place of many a soul ; here they found 
the Pearl of (Jreat Pi-ice and conunenced 
a life of service for God and humanity in 
the chuirh militant which finally ended 
in the church iiiuini)hant. 



When it was destroyed by fire De- 
cember 25, 1910, the members and 
friends gathered around its smoking 
embers with tears in their eyes and sad- 
ness in their hearts, for it had been a 
veritable Bethel to many of them. They 
said with one accord: We must rebuild 
this church; we cannot let our children 
grow up without the influence of God's 
word and ministry. May God bless the 
new church edifice and the future con- 
gregations that gather within her walls 
as He did the old church and her con- 
gregations. God grant that the glory 
of the latter house shall be greater than 
that of the former house. 

Leslie Church. 

Rev. J. S. Stamm, an assistant pastor 
under Rev. J. B. Gresser, commenced 
preaching services in the Brewington 
school house in the spring of 1900. 
These services were continued that year 
with some success. The following j^ear 
Rev. J. B. Gresser took charge of work 
and as there was no assistant pastor 
that year Rev. Gresser could not devote 
as much time to this new appointment 
as it ought to have received. 

In 1902 Rev. W. H. Manshardt was 
appointed to the Shelby mission field as 
l^reacher in charge, but was not able to 
give this appointment any preaching 
service. However, he secured pledges 
from men living in that neighborhood to 
the amount of nearly eight hundred dol- 
lars for a church building in that neigh- 
borhood. 

In the spring of 190.3 Rev. I. H. 
TIauptfuehrer took charge of the Shelby 
mission field and after a successful arbor 
meeting held near Mrs. Eliza Van Hou- 
ten's faiTO in August of that vear or- 



198 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ganized a class with, the following char- 
ter members : 

George Crawford, Mary Crawford, 
Charles Crawford, J. F. Webb, Cather- 
ine Webb, Eelda Webb, Eosa Shepherd, 
Clarence Messick, Euby Messick, L. L. 
AVheeler, Cora E. Wheeler, Nora Beu- 
lah "Wlieeler, E. Ag-nes Wheeler, Vincil 
Wheeler, J. B. Dehner, Katie Dehner, 
Mary E. Heathmaia, Mary Oneal, Nathan 
Gibson, MoUie Thresher, Ada Thresher, 
Bertha Copenhaver, Maudie Hall, Mary 



AA^hitby, Theodore Dove, Maria Craw- 
ford, Eosa Hopper. 

A church building was started in the 
fall of 1903 and dedicated by Eev. C. F. 
Errfmeyer, presiding elder of the Kan- 
sas City district, in May, 1904. 

The Shelby mission field built a good, 
substantial parsonage in the year of 
1910 in the Culver addition to the city 
of Clarence, Mo., and is well prepared 
to take good care of her future pastors. 




PHILIP DIMMITT, M. D. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



PHILIP DIMMITT, M. D. 



I The late Dr. Philip Demmitt, whose 
death on November 23, 1898, at the age 
of seventy-one years cast a shadow over 
all of Shelby and the adjoining counties 
of this state, was one of the leading- 
physicians and surgeons in this portion 
of the country, and also one of the most 
extensive and progressive farmers Shel- 
by county has ever known and one of its 
most prominent and influential citizens, 
giving close and intelligent attention to 
public affairs and rendering the general 
public excellent service in various ways 
besides the advantages they derived 
from his professional work and his farm- 
ing operations. 

Dr. Dimmitt was born in Washington 
county, Kentucky, on December 11, 1824, 
and was a son of Judge Walter B. and 
Louisa (Hughes) Dimmitt, also Ken- 
tuckians by birth, the father having been, 
like the son, a native of Washington 
county. He was, however, reared and 
educated at Harrodsburg, in the adjoin- 
ing county of Mercer, and for a time was 
assistant county clerk of that county, 
ater he returned to Washington county 
and served as sheriff there. In 1829 he 
moved his family to what is now Marion 
county, Missouri, arriving in this state 
and that portion of it before the gov- 
ernment surveys were made. He made 

i 199 



a wise selection of his location and pre- 
empted a large body of land, "on which 
he carried on extensively as a planter 
and general farmer. He also rose to 
prominence and influence in local affairs, 
served as county judge for a number of 
years, and was everywhere regarded as 
one of the most public-spirited and rep- 
resentative citizens of the section of the 
state in which he lived. His death oc- 
curred in 1849, and that of his widow, 
whom he married in Kentucky, in 1872. 

The Dimmitt family was of French 
origin. Its progenitors in the United 
States came to this country at an early 
day and took up their residence in Mary- 
laud. But the spirit of adventure and 
desire for better conditions in life and 
opportunity that brought them across 
the Atlantic led them to leave the older 
and more settled part of the country and 
seek a new home in Kentucky when that 
now great and progressive state was a 
part of our expansive frontier, and to 
brave the hazards and privations of pio- 
neer life. The same spirit impelled the 
Doctor's parents to come to Missouri 
when it, too, was on the frontier, and 
repeat on its soil the performances and 
acliievemeuts of their forefathers on that 
of Kentucky. 

Dr. Phili]) Dimmitt, who was one of 
the most successful and distinguished 




200 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



members of the family in the New 
World, began his scholastic training in 
the primitive comitry schools of his boy- 
hood and youth and completed it at 
Marion College. At the age of twenty- 
one he began the study of medicine un- 
der the direction of Dr. J. H. Kibby, of 
Palmyra, Missouri. After a sufficient 
preparatory course of reading he en- 
tered Missouri Medical College, and 
from that institution he was graduated 
in 1849. But he was not satisfied with 
his professional acquirements, even as 
a beginner, and after a practice covering 
a number of months he matriculated at 
the St. Louis Medical College, where he 
pursued a more extended course and 
from which he was graduated in 1852. 
During the next four years he practiced 
his profession at Monticello, in Lewis 
county. In 1856 he changed this to 
BoonvUle, Cooper county, where he re- 
mained four years. 

But in the meantime he visited Shelby 
county in 1860 and bought a farm four 
miles northeast of Shelby^ulle, which be- 
came his final home and from it as a 
center he conducted a very active and 
extensive practice for a period of four- 
teen years in addition to farming on a 
very extensive scale. At the time al- 
luded to the Doctor owned a number of 
slaves, and as he would neither sell nor 
hire any of them to other persons, he 
was obliged to keep them employed him- 
self and he added to his lauded estate 
until at one ])eriod he and his sons 
fanned over 1,400 acres of land, and he 
was one of the busiest, most extensive 
and most successful cattle feeders in 
Shelby county, and by his progressive 
methods one of the most valued con- 



tributors to raising the standard of live 
stock in this portion of the state. 

Still, large and exacting as were his 
farming and stock operations, they did 
not curtail his professional activity. He 
was universally considered the leading 
physician of Shelby county while he re- 
mained in active practice, which he did 
until he reached the age of fifty years, 
retiring in 1874. In that year he found- 
ed the Shelby County Savings Bank and 
became its cashier. Some years later 
this institution was converted into the 
private banking house of Cooper & Dim- 
mitt, and as such it continued in business 
and flourished many years. For data 
concerning this banking institution see 
sketch of J. T. Cooper on another page 
of this volume. 

On January .31, 1850, Dr. Dinuuitt was 
united in marriage with Mrs. C. F. 
(Agee) Henderson, the widow of Addi- 
son J. Henderson, and at the time of her 
marriage to the Doctor only twenty-two 
years old. They became the parents of 
six children, all of whom are living: 
Walter A., a leading farmer of this 
county, a sketch of whom will be found 
in this work; Frank, who is president 
of the Old Bank of Shelbina, and whose 
life story is also recorded in this vol- 
mne; Marvin, a banker in Chirence, this 
county; Prince, the president of The 
Bank of Shelbyville, an account of whose 
useful life adds to the interest and value 
of this history; Pope, who is a i-esident 
of the city of St. Louis ; and Lee, whose 
home is in Shelby county. 

The mother of these children died on 
July 6, 1893, and the father, as has been 
stated, on November 23, 1898. He was 
united in a second marriage with Mrs. 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



20\ 



Hattie Hillias, the ceremony being per- 
formed in 1897. She is still living. The 
Doctor's tirst wife was regarded as one 
of the most estimable ladies in the coun- 
ty. In fraternal life the Doctor was a 
Freemason and active in the order for 
a long time. Ilis religions affiliation was 
with the Methodist Episcopal ehnreh, 
South, and in its affairs he also took a 
zealous and serviceable part. In all the 
relations of life he was worthy and fully 
entitled to the high rank he held in tlie 
regard of the jieople as a man and citi- 
zen. In his profession he was highly cul- 
tivated and exhibited great practical 
skill. In business he was upright, con- 
scientious and jirogressive, and in con- 
nection with public affairs and the gen- 
eral welfare of the people he was one of 
the most enterprising and far-seeing, as 
well as one of the most helpful and in- 
spiring men in the community. 

WILLIAM H. WAEREN. 

The late William H. Warren, who 
passed the greater part of his life of sev- 
enty-two years in this state and much of 
it in Shelby county, and whose death on 
September 7, 1898, was universally de- 
]ilored, was one of the leading and most 
representative citizens of the state. He 
was prominent in business and social cir- 
cles, dignified and adorned domestic life 
by the ]iractice of every manly virtue and 
took an active and heli)ful ]iart in build- 
ing up and improving the city of his 
home. 

^Ir. Warren was a native of Kentucky, 
born in the famous county of Bourbon 
on July 23, 1827. He was a son of Wil- 
liam and Charlotte (Harrington) War- 
ren. Thev were born and reared in Ken- 



tucky. They were the parents of eight 
children, four of whom are living. These 
are : Amanda, the wife of W. P. Sidner, 
of Clarence, this county; Nan, the wife 
of James Combs, of Los Angeles, Cali- 
fornia ; Georgiana, the wife of S. A. 
Sparks, of Blackwell, Oklahoma; and 
Sallie, the wife of J. T. Smith, of Monroe 
county, Missouri. In politics the father 
was a Democrat and in church affiliation 
a Baptist. He moved to Kentucky with 
his parents in his childhood and to Mis- 
souri in his early manhood. In this state 
he was profitably engaged in farming 
and raising live stock in Monroe and Ma- 
rion counties until his death in 1872. 

AVilliam H. Warren grew to manhood 
on his father's farm in Monroe county 
and ol)tained his education in the public 
schools near his home. The period of his 
childhood and youth was one of hard- 
ship, ])rivation and toil, for the country 
in which he was reared was still wild and 
imdeveloped, and to bring it to jiroduc- 
tiveness and civilization required the 
energies of all who lived in it. His op- 
]iortimities for schooling were therefore 
very limited and embraced in their scope 
only the rudimental l)ranches of scholas- 
tic training. But the i)urpose of Nature 
seemed to be to breed in our Western 
wilds a race of men rather than scholars, 
and fit it for conquest over the wide do- 
main of fertility through which the savage 
denizens of the plain and forest were 
still roaming. And in doing this she was 
]3reparing the children of her seeming 
neglect, but real providence and care, for 
any duty that might subsequently de- 
volve ujion them. The demands of the 
time were for men of ca]:)acity in useful, 
in-actical affairs, and accordingly, after 
leaving school, Mr. Warren learned the 



202 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



carpenter trade, and for a number of 
years worked at it steadily. In this wa\ 
he acquired a warm and serviceable in- 
terest in the welfare of the people which 
he exhibited throughout all his later oc- 
cupations. 

Soon after he reached his maturity the 
voice of trade was heard loudly calling 
for recruits in the land and he hearkened 
to the call. He turned his attention to 
extensive dealing in tobacco and followed 
that for a period of sixteen years. He 
then became a lumber merchant, and dur- 
ing the next fifteen years devoted his 
energies and broadening capacities to 
supplying the needs of the people in ma- 
terials for homes and the im})rovements 
they necessitated. When the hour was 
ripe for more extensive financial facili- 
ties, he became one of the founders of the 
Old Bank of Shelbina, with which he was 
connected until his death, giving it excel- 
lent service for a number of years as 
president and general director of its 
affairs. 

He served three years in the Confed- 
erate army during the Civil war, being 
under the command of General Price, 
and participated in a number of impor- 
tant and sanguinary battles, from all of 
which he escaped without disaster, ex- 
cept, of course, the hardships and priva- 
tions incident to the service. 

In ]iolitics Mr. Warren was a life-long 
and consistent Democrat, and although 
he never held or sought public office for 
himself, his interest in the welfare of his 
state and country never faltered or was 
abated for a day of his long and useful life. 
Ho belonged to the Order of Odd Fellows 
and was a member of the Baptist church. 
On October 17, 1870, he united in mar- 
riage with ]\Iiss Lucy Lewis, of Monroe 



county, in this state. They had no chil- 
di-en, but reared the daughter of Patrick 
List, of Shelbina, whom they took into 
their home as an adopted child when she 
was four years old. In 1893 she was 
married to Senator George W. Hum- 
phrey, a brief account of whose life ap- 
pears in this volume. 

Mr. Warren died on September 7, 
1898, full of years and of honor. His 
career was creditable to the citizenship 
of the count}'. His life was useful among 
its people. His example of upright and 
productive manhood had produced and 
is still producing good results in the ac- 
tivities of those who followed it, and 
when he passed away there was universal 
sorrow throughout his own and the ad- 
joining counties. During all the years of 
his manhood he was a hard worker and a 
judicious and frugal man, and when he 
died he left a considerable estate for the 
enjoyment of his widow, who had helped 
him to win it. She is still living and has 
her home in Shelbina, where she is held 
in the highest esteem. She is now sixty- 
four years old, but still hale, vigorous 
and active, and she exemplifies now, in 
her devotion to every worthy undertak- 
ing for the good of those who live around 
her the spirit of enter]:)rise and progress 
which has governed her through life, in 
this way keeping alive, in the most prac- 
tical way, the memory of her esteemed 
husband and doing well her part as a 
useful member of society. 

WILLIAM W. MORGAN. 

AVilliam W. Morgan is a member of a 
family well known and held in the high- 
est esteem in Shelbina, M-here he was 
born on January 23, 1861. His ]-)arents 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



203 



were David and Mary E. (Williams) 
Morgan, the latter of whom is still living 
and has her home with him. A sketch of 
the life of the father will be found else- 
where in this work. 

AVilliam grew to manhood in Shelbina 
and obtained his education in its schools, 
beginning it in the great university of 
the people, the district schools, and com- 
pleting it at the Shelbina Collegiate In- 
stitute. After leaving school he went 
into business with his father, aiding him 
in conducting an extensive enterprise in 
the manufacture of wagons and dealings 
in vehicles of all kinds and general farm- 
ing implements. He is still engaged in 
the same line of endeavor and doing well 
at the undertaking, having his brother, 
James H. Morgan, an account of whose 
life will be found elsewhere in this vol- 
ume, associated with him. A\nien the 
partnership was formed the father was 
living and the firm name was D. Morgan 
& Sons. Although the father has been 
dead a number of years the sons still ad- 
here to this name and do their trading 
under it. 

Mr. Morgan has been very successful 
in business and has also risen to promi- 
nence in the public life of the community. 
He served six years as city clerk of Shel- 
bina, giving the duties of the office care- 
ful attention and satisfying all classes 
of the people by his administration of it. 
In politics he is a pronounced and im- 
wavering Democrat, active and zealous 
in the service of his ]iarty and enjoying 
the full confidence of its leaders and also 
of the rank and file. His church affilia- 
tion is with the Baptists, and fraternally 
he is a member of the Masonic order. 



DAVID MORGAN, JR. 

This gentleman is a worthy follower 
of his well known and highly esteemed 
father, the late David Morgan, of Shel- 
bina, a brief account of whose useful life 
will be found elsewhere in this work. 
The younger David Morgan, who is the 
immediate subject of these paragraphs, 
was born at Shelbina on April 24, 1871. 
He grew to manliood in his father's home 
and was educated in the public schools 
of the village of his nativity and at Shel- 
bina Collegiate Institute. After leaving 
the institute he pursued a special course 
of business training at the Southwestern 
Business College of Wichita, Kansas. 

When he was twenty-two years of age 
he took up liis residence in Monroe coun- 
ty, this state, where for nine years he 
was actively and prosperously engaged 
in farming. He then moved to Shelbina 
and began operations as a real estate 
dealer, a line of business in which he is 
still engaged. He is also interested in 
the manufacture of concrete blocks for 
building, paving and other work of con- 
struction. In all his undertakings he has 
been eminently successful, rising to the 
first rank among the business men of 
Sbolbina and winning a wide and lasting 
popularity as a citizen. 

Like his father and brothers, Mr. Mor- 
gan adheres to the Democratic party in 
politics and gives it his earnest support 
at all times. He is a member of the 
Christian church and belongs to the Or- 
der of Knights of Pythias. On January 
23, 1893, he was married to Miss Clara 
Pearl Sears, a native of Monroe county, 
in this state. They have had seven chil- 
dren, all of whom are living. They are 



204 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Lucille Marie, Gladys Pearl, David 
Sears, Tbelma Xadine, Joseph "William 
Chilton, John Lyell and Anna Marian. 
The father is a very active man in behalf 
of the Tvelfare of the community and 
waraily supports every enterprise for its 
promotion. 

JAMES H. MOEGAN. 

Worthy son of a worthy sire, and true 
to the teaching and examples given him 
at the parental fireside, James H. Mor- 
gan is justly accounted one of the leading 
business men and best citizens of Sbel- 
bina. He was born in that town on Sep- 
tember 24, 1862, a son of the late David 
^lorgan and brother of John R. Morgan, 
in a sketch of whom on another page of 
this volume a brief account of the fath- 
er's life is given. 

James H. Morgan grew to manhood 
and obtained his education in Shelbina, 
and after leaving school learned his 
trade as a blacksmith under the tuition 
of his father. In 1885 he and his brother 
AVilliam entered into partnership with 
their father under the iirm name of Da- 
vid ^lorgan & Sons, and together they 
conducted a flourishing business in manu- 
facturing wagons and dealing in road ve- 
hicles of various kinds and farming im- 
plements of all kinds. The sons are still 
carrj'ing on the business under the old 
firm name, and their enterprise is one of 
the leaders of the kind in this part of 
the state. Their operations are exten- 
sive and profitable, and they give the 
business their whole attention, using 
every means at their command to expand 
their trade and fully satisfy their 
]iatrons. 

^fr. ^Morgan takes an active and intelli- 



gent interest in public affairs, ardently 
supporting the principles and candidates 
of the Democratic party. He is an Odd 
Fellow in fraternal relations, and a ver\' 
active and useful man in promoting all 
that makes for the betterment of the 
commimity, or contributes to the comfort 
or convenience of its people. He was 
married in ^lonroe county on Se])tember 
11, 1894, to Miss Jennie Threlkeld, who 
was born and reared in this state. They 
have two children, their sons Harold and 
Clarence. Their home is a center of so- 
cial culture and generous and grateful 
hospitality. 

AVADE HAMPTON JONES. 

This prominent and successful citizen 
and business man of Shelbina is a native 
of Missouri, and in several towns in the 
state has exemplified the lofty attributes 
of citizenship for which its people are 
noted. He was born at Humphreys, in 
Sullivan county, on Xovemlier 7, 1879, 
and is a son of Augustin and Rachel T. 
(Haley) Jones, both born and reared in 
this state. His grandfather, Gabriel 
Jones, was born in Virginia, and in 1831 
came to Monroe county, ^lissouri, se- 
curing a farm near Clinton, where he was 
extensively engaged in farming and to- 
bacco growing. During the war he re- 
cruited a company in Sullivan county, 
where he moved in 1840, for the Union 
army, but did not enter the service him- 
self. He died in 1888 in Sullivan county. 

The father of Wade H. Jones was for 
three years a merchant at Humphreys, 
and later gave his attention to farming 
and raising live stock on a large scale. 
He is now retired from active pursuits 
and living in jieace and the enjoyment 



I i 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



205 



of a high and wide spread reputation for 
all that is worthy and commendable in 
manhood and eitizeuship at Shelbina. He 
no longer works as he did with vigor and 
unceasing industry for many years, but 
still retains his interest in his farm and 
live stock industry. 

In 1869 he was united in marriage with 
Miss Rachel T. Haley, who was, like him- 
self, a native of Missouri. They liad 
.six children, five of whom are living: 
Gabriel, a resident of Denver, Colorado ; 
Charles A., who lives in Hmnphreys; 
AVilliam T., one of the prominent citi- 
zens of St. Louis; Susan A., the wife 
of J. H. "Wood, of Shelbina, a sketch of 
whose life will be found in this work, and 
Wade H. Although he is known to the 
2ieople of the present day mainly as a 
man of peace and productive industry, 
he did not shirk what he conceived to be 
his duty when the political principles in 
which he believed were assailed with 
force and arms. "When the Civil war be- 
gan to drench this unhappy country in 
fraternal blood he gave practical illus- 
tration to his faith by enlisting in the 
"Union army in 1861, in Company C, 18th 
Missouri Volunteer Infantry and prepar- 
ing to offer up his life, if necessary, on 
the altar of his convictions. His sei'vice 
in the field of carnage was, however, soon 
ended. In the first year of the war he 
was so seriously injured that he was com- 
pelled to retire from the service and he 
was never thereafter able to resume his 
military post. He thereupon returned to 
his fai-m and stock breeding enterprise, 
and to them he devoted all the remaining 
years of his activity. He has been a life- 
long Democrat in politics, a Freemason 
of many years standing in fraternal life 



and a zealous member of the Christian 
church in religious affiliation. He was a 
gentleman of great energy and activity 
during his years of business enterprise 
and very successful in everything he un- 
dertook. 

His son, "Wade Hampton Jones, who 
was named in honor of the distinguished 
South Carolina cavalry leader in the 
Civil war who conducted, at Gettj^sburg, 
one of the most daring charges in all 
military history, was reared on the pa- 
ternal homestead and obtained his edu- 
cation in the public schools, at the college 
at Humphreys and at the University of 
Missouri located at Columbia. After 
leaving the university he entered the 
banking business at Humphreys, where 
he remained a few years in successful 
use of his faculties according to his bent. 
In 1906 he moved to Gait, in Grundy 
county, and became cashier of the Gait 
State Bank in which he had acquired an 
interest. A few years later he sold his 
interests in the bank of Gait and bought 
one in the Shelbina National Bank, of 
Shelbina, Missouri. He became at once 
a director of this bank and accepted the 
position of cashier, which he filled with 
great credit to himself and satisfaction 
to the other ofificers and the patrons of 
the bank until the spring of 1910. He is 
also treasurer of the Jones Farming 
Company of Humphreys, which belongs 
to his father. 

In political faith Mr. Jones is an 
ardent ^nd active Democrat. He has 
never yet sought office for himself, but 
has always taken a deep and helpful in- 
terest in the affairs of his party. In re- 
ligious connection he is a memlier of the 
Christian church and in fraternal life 



206 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



a Freemason and a member of the Order 
of Elks. In business he is very prom- 
inent and has been very successful. 

On August 28 he was joined in mar- 
riage with Miss Fay Hanly, a native of 
Missouri, who presides over their beau- 
tiful home in Shelbina with a grace and 
dignity which makes it one of the fav- 
orite social resorts of the town and gives 
it a wide renown and excellent reputa- 
tion for refined and gracious hosiiitality. 
Mr. Jones is at this time (1911) but 
thirty-two years of age, and he has al- 
ready risen to the iirst rank in the busi- 
ness life of the community. He is en- 
ergetic, healthy, and wideawake. His 
alertness of vision and quickness of re- 
sponse leaves no opportunity unused for 
his advancement, and if a judgment can 
be predicated on his past with reference 
to his future, he is destined to become 
one of the leading and most substantial 
citizens of the county. All who know 
him look forward to a bright and useful 
career for him in the years to come, and 
all wish him success in every undertak- 
ing, for he is universally esteemed. He 
is at present engaged in wheat grow- 
ing near Milford, Canada, having a sec- 
tion of land all under cultivation. 

WILLIAM A. KEID. 

Coming to Shelbina when it was only a 
country railroad station on the prairie, 
and spending thirty-two years of his use- 
ful life in helping to develop its latent 
resources, which bis penetrating eye en- 
abled him to see and his business ca- 
pacity enabled him to use for his own 
advantage and that of the people who 
followed his lead into this locality, tlie 
late William A. Reid was a potent factor 



in pushing foi-ward the progress and im- 
provement of this jjortiou of the state of 
Missouri, and through his worth, enter- 
prise and public services became one of 
its leading and most resj^ected citizens. 
He has left behind him a memory that 
everybody reveres and a record of fruit- 
ful work that all classes of the people 
are justly proud of. 

The Old Dominion claims him as one 
of her native sons, he having been born 
in Rappahannock county, Virginia, on 
January 24-, 1829, the son of Alfred and 
Patsy (Rector) Reid, prosperous plant- 
ers of that county, and held in the high- 
est esteem by its people. His father was 
a farmer and passed his life in Virginia. 
He was the only son in a family of 
twenty-five children and he and his wife 
died in Fauquier county, Virginia. 

The educational facilities surrounding 
Mr. Reid in his boyhood and youth were 
neither extensive nor advanced. His 
education in books was therefore limited 
and confined to the rudiments of scholas- 
tic acquirements. At the age of fifteen 
years he began the battle of life for him- 
self as a clerk in a general store at Rec- 
tortown, in his native county, and there 
he remained until 1858, when he came to 
this countj' and located at what is now 
the city of Shelbina. Everything in the 
neighborhood in the way of development 
was but begim, but to his prophetic 
vision the region possessed great possi- 
bilities, and to bringing them into notice 
and service he sedulously devoted all his 
energies. He opened a general store in 
a small frame building on the north side 
of the railroad track, on a capital of 
$1,200. His beginning in business was 
on a small scale, and his progress for a 
time was slow and bv short advances. 



/- 



lBli^%V 




WILLIAM A. REID 



HISTORY OP SHELBY COUNTY 



207 



He had all the iucouvenieaces and diffi- 
culties of a new country remote from 
business centers and sources of supply 
to contend with, and these were often 
magnified by climatic conditions and 
other elements of obstruction. 

But the man with whom Fortune 
Beemed to be toying, and at times trifling, 
was of a heroic mold and had great ten- 
acity of purpose. He was also prudent 
and frugal, and knew how to manage his 
affairs so as to make every dollar of his 
capital and every day of his labor count 
to his advantage, until the time of his 
death, which occurred on April 29, 
1890. Within three years after he 
opened his store and began his business 
career in this county, the Civil war broke 
out and placed the whole of this part of 
tiie country in a condition of great dis- 
turbance and uncertainty. Mr. Eeid, 
however, continued his business opera- 
tions, in spite of the difficulties and dan- 
gers of the situation, and kept on tri- 
umphing in the very face of a fate that 
seemed adverse to his welfare. 

Many times he was obliged to remove 
his stock and other valuables from place 
to place, and on one occasion took all he 
had to Quincy, Illinois. TMien Anderson 
raided the town in one of his forays Mr. 
Reid's store was one of the first to be 
plundered by the raiders, and he suf- 
fered heavily by their depredations. 
The disaster did not daunt him. He at 
once restocked his store and went on 
with his business. At various times dur- 
ing his mercantile operations in Shel- 
bina he had his brother, Oscar Eeid, 
George T. Hill and P. H. List associated 
with him, but during the greater jiart of 
the time he was alone in business. 

Throughout Ms residence in the city 



he always manifested the deepest and 
most serviceable interest in its welfare 
and the comfort and benefit of its people. 
He secured for the community its first 
postoffice and acted as postmaster from 
the opening of the office until the in- 
auguration of President Lincoln in 1861. 
In 1866 his store, along with the greater 
part of the town, was destroyed by fire. 
He immediately rebuilt his store, put- 
ting up a modern brick building, which 
was about the first erected in the place, 
and is still one of its most substantial 
brick business structures. 

After sixteen years of great activity 
and zeal in merchandising he grew tired 
of that line of business and sold his store 
in 187-1:. He then turned his attention to 
banking in partnership with Daniel 
Taylor under the firm name of Reid & 
Taylor. They were very successful and 
a few years after opening their banking- 
house merged the institution into a state 
bank. This also flourished and enjoj^ed 
the confidence of the whole county. This 
bank is now known as "The Old Bank 
of Shelbina", Mr. Reid being president 
of it at the time of his death. Mr. Reid 
was a careful and judicious investor as 
well as a wide-awake and progressive 
business man. 

He was one of the few men who in 
making money never accjuired a love for 
it for its mere possession. Nothing es- 
caped him in the way of a business op- 
portunity, but he was as free in opening 
his hand for benevolent and other worthy 
purposes as he was alert and firm in 
closing it on a profitable business deal. 
He was at all times throughout his life 
warmly, sincerely and ]iractically inter- 
ested in church work, and never with- 
held his help from any commendable un- 



208 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



dertaking- in this line of endeavor. Tlie 
first religious services ever held in Shel- 
bina were conducted in his store, and he 
also originated the first Sunday school 
in the town and for many years served 
as its superintendent. The First South- 
ern Methodist Episcopal church in the 
community was indebted almost wholly 
to him for its existence and the edifice 
in which the congregation worshiped. 
But he was far from being sectarian in 
his devotion to religious institutions. 
He aided generously all church organi 
zations in the city and county, no matter 
what denomination they belonged to. 

On April 22, 1862, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Elizabeth Minter, 
a daughter of Dr. Antony and Jane 
(Bybe) Minter. Eight children were 
born of the union, five of whom are liv- 
ing: Jessie, now Mrs. A. R. Wherritt, 
of Pleasant Hill, Missouri; Lena, now 
Mrs. George H. Mansfield, of New Jer- 
sey; Margaret, still at home; Victor M., 
a leading business man of Shelbina ; 
Clifford L., engaged in business at Shel- 
bina. 

Mrs. Eeid, the mother of these chil- 
dren, is still living in Shelbina, where 
she continues, as far as possible, the 
church and charitable work begun by 
her husband, and where she enjoys the 
confidence, esteem and admiring regard 
of all the people. Her husband had the 
happy faculty of making his business 
highly successful without exciting the 
envy or ill will of his fellow men. And 
she has tlio o(|ually valuable gift of doing 
good witliout ostentation or having 
the loftiness of her motives called in 
question. Husband and wife are firmly 
enshrined in the regard and good will 
of the iieople as leading citizens of the 



city and county, and promoters of every 
good work in the service of their resi- 
dents. 

ALBERT F. HUGGINS. 

A valiant soldier during the Civil war, 
the marks of whose cruelty he still bears, 
an industrious potter for many years 
in Illinois and this state, and an active 
and successful politician, Albert F. Hug- 
gins, of Shelbina, has borne a faithful 
and serviceable part in many lines of 
endeavor and has won high and well de- 
served credit for himself in all. Yet, not- 
withstanding the adventures he has had, 
the sufferings he has undergone and the 
success he has won, he bears his excellent 
reputation modestly and claims no credit 
for himself beyond that of having per- 
formed with fidelity everj^ duty that has 
been assigned to him. 

yir. Huggins was born in Parke county, 
Indiana, on February 3, 1843, and is a 
son of David F. and Nancy J. (Clenden- 
ing) Huggins, the former a native of In- 
diana and the latter of North Carolina. 
The father obtained a district school edu- 
cation and worked at his trade as a pot- 
ter to the end of his life. In 1852 lie 
moved from Indiana to Illinois, where he 
remained and kept his family until 1869. 
In that year he came to Missouri and 
located in Shelby county, taking up his 
residence at Lakenan. In that village he 
built a pottery which he conducted until 
he was killed in 1902. He was married to 
Miss Nancy J. Clendening, who was born 
and reared in North Carolina. They had 
six cliildren, three of whom are living: A. 
F. Huggins, of Shell)ina, the immediate 
subject of this brief memoir; Elizabeth, 
the wife of C. H. Ayers, of Lakenan ; and 
H. D. Huggins, a prominent resident of 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



209 



Shelbiua. lu politics the father was a 
Eepublican and iu fraternal life a Free- 
mason. 

His son, Albert F. Hug gins, was 
reared by the parental fireside and se- 
cured his education in the public schools, 
attending them in "Winchester, Illinois. 
Immediately upon leaving school he en- 
listed in the Union army as a member of 
Company H, One Hundred and Twenty- 
ninth Illinois Infantry, and was soon 
afterward at the front battling for the 
salvation of his country from dismem- 
berment. He remained in the army three 
years, taking part in the spectacular 
march of General Sherman's command 
from Atlanta to the sea. At the battle 
of Resaea, Georgia, he received a severe 
wound and was taken from the battle- 
field to the field hospital at Chattanooga. 
From there he was transferred soon af- 
terward to Nashville, and then to Louis- 
ville, and a little later to Jefferson Bar- 
racks, near St. Louis, Missouri. But 
wounded and suffering though he was, 
he was not allowed to remain at this 
fourth halting place. He was taken to 
Camp Butler at Springfield, Illinois, 
from there to Quiney in the same state, 
and then to Chicago, where he was soon 
afterward transferred to the invalid 
corps, which was the Second battalion of 
the Veteran Reserve corps. He remained 
in Chicago many months, and was there 
when tlie remains of President Lincoln 
were brought to the city in 1865, a short 
time before his honorable discharge 
from military service, and his return to 
the pursuits of peaceful industry. 

After the war he was engaged in the 
pottery business with his father at 
Whitehall, Illinois, until 1869, when the 



whole family moved to Missouri. For 
twenty years after that he was occupied 
in the manufacture of pottery at Lake- 
nan, this coimty, iu association with his 
father. In 1890 he was appointed post- 
master of Shelbiua by President Har- 
rison, a position to which he was again 
appointed by President McKinley, and 
which he lost during the first term of 
President Roosevelt because of factional 
difficulties in the party. But he was once 
more appointed in President Roosevelt's 
second term, and is still filling the office. 

Throughout the whole of his manhood 
■Mr. Huggius has been a Republican in 
l^olitical faith and very active in the 
service of his party. He has at all times 
been a wheelhorse in the local party cam- 
paigns and has held many offices in 
county and state conventions. In fra- 
ternal life he is a Freemason of the 
Knights Templar and 32nd degree, an 
Odd Fellow and a Knight of Pythias. He 
was married on February 2, 1870, to 
Miss Mary A. Ayers, of Whitehall, Illi- 
nois. They became the parents of four 
children, three of whom are living, as fol- 
lows: Richard, a resident of Shelbina; 
Allie, who lives in St. Louis ; and Eva M., 
who is now Mrs. Shell D. Erwin, of Le 
Grande, Oregon. 

Mr. Huggins has tlie esteem and good 
will of all who know him. He is re- 
garded as an excellent citizen, a useful 
factor in the development and improve- 
ment of the community in which he lives, 
and a valuable addition to any social cir- 
cle with which he mingles. No resident 
of Shelbina has a better reputation or a 
wider circle of admiring friends; and 
none is more deserving of the esteem of 
the people. 



210 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



DR. JACOB D. SMITH. 

Doubly orphaned by the death of both 
his parents when he was but four years 
of age, Dr. Jacob D. Smith, of Shelbina, 
has largely been the architect of his own 
fortunes. His success in his profession 
proves that he has builded well and the 
universal esteem in which he is held 
establishes the fact that his life has been 
useful to others as well as profitable to 
himself. 

Dr. Smith was born at Hannibal, ^Mis- 
souri, on January 25, 1849. His parents, 
Colombus and Maiy Smith, were natives 
of Kentucky but removed to Marion 
county, Missouri, in about 1838 or 1839. 
He was reared in the home of his imcle, 
Daniel Harris, of Quincy, Illinois, and 
was given every care and attention 
it was possible for a child to receive. 
He obtained his academic training by at- 
tending Soule's Academy and passing 
one year at the Quincy College. He be- 
gan the study of medicine by private 
reading under the direction of a good 
physician and then attended Eush Medi- 
cal College in Chicago, from whicli he 
was graduated with the degree of M. D. 
in 1870. 

The doctor began his practice in Sliel- 
byville in September, 1871, and remained 
there two years. In 1873 he moved to 
Shelbina and formed a partnership with 
Dr. E. N. Gerard, which continued about 
three years. Since its dissolution in 1876 
he has been constantly in active general 
practice for himself, rising steadily in 
the confidence and esteem of the people 
and his ]irofpssional In-ethren, and build- 
ing u]) au excellent reputation as a i)hysi- 



cian and as a citizen of worth and great 
usefulness. 

The life of a country physician in a 
new territory is necessarily one of priva- 
tion and self-sacrifice. He belongs wholly 
to the public, and his services are in con- 
tinual demand. The population is scat- 
tered and the calls cover many miles of 
travel eveiy day, often continuing into 
or even through the night. Leisure for 
rest, for recreation, for enjoyment, even 
for more advanced study in his work, is 
often totally denied him, or can be 
snatched only in fragments from more 
immediate and exacting claims upon his 
time and energies. Thus his life be- 
comes a continual round of toil and self- 
immolation on the altar of the public 
need and the general good of the com- 
munity in which he lives and operates. 

The experience was altogether a new 
one for Dr. Smith. From his childhood 
he had not been obliged to forego his own 
wishes for the comfort or welfare of 
others. But he accordingly accepted his 
daily consecration to the requirements 
of his fellows as a part of his destiny, 
and concerned himself mainly in dis- 
charging with fidelity and all the skill he 
could command the duties which were bo- 
fore him. This has been his habit and 
he has won the regard and good will of 
the whole county thereby. His practice 
is a large one and his patrons are repre- 
sentative in character and standing. He 
has also kept pace with the advance of 
his profession and is abreast with its 
latest thought and discovery. For even 
though a very busy man for many years, 
he has also been a studious one, and is 
well informed on all branches of his 
work, having taken post-graduate lee- 



HISTORY OP SHELBY COUNTY 



•^11 



tures in both Chicago and New York city. 

Socially he is agreeable and obliging, and 
this is an additional equipment for suc- 
cess in his practice and popularity among 
the people. He is a member of both 
county and state medical societies and 
holds membership in the National Medi- 
cal Association. The doctor is local sur- 
geon for the Burlington railroad and en- 
joys a wide acquaintance in Northern 
Missouri. 

On February 20, 1873, he was married 
to Miss Ida M. Myers, of Palmyra, Mis- 
souri. The six children who have blessed 
and brightened their household are all 
living. They are: Mark H., a resident 
of Brookfield, ^Missouri; Madge G., the 
wife of B. T. AVillis, of Clarence, this 
state; Julia C, the widow of Dr. J. C. 
Settles, of Arkadelphia, Arkansas ; Bes- 
sie B., the wife of E. W. Jewett, of Shel- 
bina ; Effie D. and Jo. The doctor is a 
Democrat in politics, a Baptist in reli- 
gious faith and a Knight of Pythias in 
fraternal life. 

THOMAS W. LYELL, D. D. S. 

Dr. Thomas W. Lyell, who is one of 
the leading dentists in Northern Mis- 
souri, is a scion of a distinguished fam- 
ily. He is a son of the late Thomas P. 
Lyell, a prominent citizen of this county, 
a brief account of whose useful and in- 
s])iring life will be found in the bio- 
graphy of John R. Lyell, another son of 
the same household and a brother of 
the doctor. In his professional work and 
]>rivate life the doctor worthily sustains 
the reputation of the family for intel- 
lectual supremacy, moral excellence and 
liigh-toned citizenship, with a progres- 



sive spirit that renders good service 
wherever the enduring welfare of the 
community is involved. 

Dr. Lyell was born in Shelby county on 
October 18, 1871. When he was twelve 
years of age the family moved to Shel- 
bina, and here he has ever since resided 
except during his absence at school. He 
began his academic training in the public 
schools of the town and the locality of 
his earlier home, and completed it at 
Central College, in Fayette, Missouri. In 
1893 he began the study of dentistry, 
finding in it agreeable occupation for his 
faculties at the start and pursuing it with 
a diligence and interest which have never 
flagged. He was graduated from the 
Western Dental College in Kansas City, 
Missouri, in 1896, and at once entered 
upon the practice of his profession at 
Shelbina, where he is still actively en- 
gaged in it. 

The science of dentistry is a progres- 
sive one and requires close and continued 
study to keep pace with its rapid ad- 
vancement. Dr. Lyell has been all that 
the case requires in this respect and is 
well up in all departments of his work. 
He is master of the theories on which 
the science is based and has been de- 
veloped, and is also a skillful, ready and 
resourceful practitioner. All that is 
latest and best in dentistry he has liter- 
ally at his lingers' ends, his primary am- 
bitions being to give his patrons the best 
]iossible returns for the money they pay 
him and make himself a complete and 
unquestioned master of his business. 

Although he is wedded to his profes- 
sional work and makes it his chief con- 
cern, Dr. Lyell finds time to carefully 
consider and actively aid in promoting 



21-^ 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



the general weal of the community. He is 
zealous in the support of every commeud- 
able undertaking for the advancement 
and improvement of the city and county 
of his home, and deeply and intelligently 
interested in the public affairs of the 
state and the country. In political faith 
and allegiance he is a firm and faithful 
Democrat, giving his party and its candi- 
dates effective support altliough seeking 
none of the honors or emohunents of 
office for himself. Having interests in 
several farms in the county to the culti- 
vation of which he gives a share of his 
personal attention, he is also useful in 
heljiing the agricultural interests of this 
portion of the state to higher and better 
development. His social rank in the com- 
munity is among the highest, and his at- 
tention to social matters gives them tone 
and intensity of life, while his genial and 
captivating personality renders him a 
favorite in any cii-cles of which he is a 
part. His religious affiliation is with the 
M. E. Church South and his fraternal 
connection with the Knights of Pythias 
and the Modern Woodmen of America. 

On October 1, 1896, he united in mar- 
riage with Miss Mary Wilson, who was 
born and reared in this state. She pre- 
sides over their ]ileasant home with grace 
and dignity, making it a favorite resort 
for their hosts of friends, who find it a 
center of social and intellectual culture 
and a summer region of refined and gen- 
erous hospitality. 

JOSEPH A. DANIEL, D. D. S. 

Dr.' Joseph A. Daniel, who is a prom- 
inent dentist of Shelbina and making an 
excellent record and reputation in his 



l^rofession, is a native of this state and 
wholly a product of its institutions, hav- 
ing never lived out of it except when he 
was attending the dental college in pre- 
paration for his life work. He was born 
in Randolph county on September 8, 
1877, and is a son of John S. and Elmyra 
V. (Hutton) Daniel, the former born in 
Kentucky in 1831 and the latter a native 
of Missouri. They were married in 
1869 and became the parents of seven 
children, all of whom are living. They 
are : Eolla E., a resident of this county; 
Elizabeth, wife of A. W. Meadows, of 
Clarence; Edgar J., also a resident of 
Clarence; William 0., of Clarence, and 
Josephus, of Shelbina, twin brothers; 
Iva M., wife of Dr. Maddox, of Middle- 
grove, Monroe county; and Ora M., 
whose home is in Shelby county. 

When the father was eighteen years 
old the siren voice of California was fill- 
ing the world with its golden music, and 
he, like many another adventurous spirit, 
was lured by it to the distant Pacific 
slope, joining the hardy and hopeful 
band of argonauts who have passed into 
history as "the Forty-Niners," and 
whose daring journey across the track- 
less plains of our then unknown western 
world has taken its ]3lace high among the 
romantic and heroic episodes of all our 
history. The success Mr. Daniel achieved 
in the new eldorado has not been made 
a part of the record, but it was not 
enough to induce him to remain in the 
mining regions. He returned to his Ran- 
dolph county farm in due season and in 
1884 moved to this county, where he has 
ever since remained and devoted his en- 
ergies to advanced and profitable farm- 
ing and stock raising on an extensive 



HISTORY OP SHELBY COUNTY 



213 



scale. He was the first man in Shelby 
county to handle mules in his farming 
operations, and through his example and 
success with them their use soon became 
general. He is not now actively engaged 
in farming, but is taking for the re- 
mainder of his days a needed and well- 
earned rest, living quietly amid the sub- 
stantial comforts of the home he has 
created and happy in the general regard 
and good will of his fellowmen. In yioli- 
tics he has been a life-long Democrat, 
active in the service of his party and 
firmly holditg on to its principles in 
spite of all new theories of government, 
heresies of politicians and vagaries of 
])ublic sentiment. His religious connec- 
tion is with the sect known as the Chris- 
tians, with whom he has been long and 
faithfully affiliated. 

Dr. Joseph A. Daniel grew to manhood 
on his father's farm and was educated 
in the public schools of Shelby county 
as a preparation for higher training, and 
this he obtained in a two years' course at 
the State Normal School at Kirksville. 
After leaving that institution he taught 
school in this county two years. In 1902 
he entered the Chicago College of Dental 
Surgery, from which he was graduated 
in 1905. He began practicing the same 
summer at Shelbina as a ]>artner of Dr. 
Thomas W. Lyell, and from then until 
now he has devoted himself wholly to his 
])rofession. He has been very successful 
and is regarded as one of the leading 
dentists of this portion of Missouri. By 
close study and -judicious reflection he 
keeps in touch with all that is progres- 
sive and advanced in the profession, and 
his patrons can always rely on getting 
from him the best service which the 



science of dentistry administered by 
skillful practice can give. He adheres to 
the Democratic party in politics and be- 
longs to the Christian church in religious 
association. On June 9, 1909, he was 
married to Miss Anna Blakey of Boul- 
der, Colorado. The doctor stands well 
in the community and is deserving of the 
general esteem he enjoys among all 
classes of the people. 

JAMES F. ALLGAIEE. 

This prominent and influential citizen 
of Shelbina, who is at this time (1911) 
the mayor of the city, is descended from 
good old Pennsylvania Dutch stock, and 
has exemplified in his career all the 
sturdy and sterling qualities for business 
pursuits and reliable citizenship which 
are characteristic of the people from 
whom he sprimg. His g r a n d f a t h e r, 
George Allgaier, was born and reared 
in the sterling and substantial old city 
of Eeading, Pennsylvania, and in his 
early manhood moved into what was then 
the wilderness of Kentucky, locating near 
what is now the city of Georgetown in 
that progressive and flourishing com- 
monwealth. 

In that vicinity Mr. Allgaier 's father, 
Michael S. Allgaier, was born on Jan- 
uary 1, 1828, and there he grew to man- 
hood and obtained such schooling as the 
frontier was able to furnish to its hardy 
and self-rehant children; and later grad- 
uated from Bordstown College of Bords- 
town, Kentuclcy. In 1856 he did as his 
father had done in his early manhood, 
made his way into the farther "West and 
helped to lay the foundations of a new 
empire remote from the centers of popu- 



214 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



lation and refinement. He came to Mis- 
souri and planted his hopes in Platte 
county, where he carried on an extensive 
business as a wholesale and i-etail grocer 
until the beginning of the Civil war in 
1861. Believing firmly as he did in the 
sovereignty of the states, and seeing in 
the political conditions of the time, as 
thousands besides him saw, a menace to 
that sovereignty, the call of the South 
for volunteers to defend her institutions 
and political jjrinciples was to him a 
trumpet-toned command to duty, and he 
at once enlisted in the Confederate army 
in Texas. He served in the same com- 
mand throughout the war, his services 
being confined almost wholly within that 
state. He belonged to what was known 
as the army of "Minutemen," and was 
under command of General Joe Selby. 

Wlien the cause he espoused went 
down into everlasting defeat at Appo- 
mattox, and its gory banners were for- 
ever furled from warlike strife, he re- 
turned to this state and took up his resi- 
dence in Monroe county, where he turned 
his attention to farming. In 1869 he 
moved to Clinton county, and there until 
1893 he was actively engaged in culti- 
vating the soil and raising live stock. 
He was active in the public affairs of 
the county, as a good citizen always is, 
and in course of time was elected sheriff 
for three terms. His political force and 
capacity for official duties was so well 
known that he was also appointed at an- 
other time sergeant-at-arms of the Mis- 
souri house of representatives. For a 
number of years thereafter he lived con- 
tentedly on his Clinton county farm and 
gave the general public the good service 
as an auctioneer throughout a wide ex- 



tent of the surrounding coimtry, lifting 
up his voice in this capacity in many 
counties and winning golden opinions 
everywhere for his excellent judgment 
and skill in exercising it in his public 
work. 

In 1893 he moved to the city of St. 
Josejah, where he passed the remainder 
of his days, dying on August 2, 1908. He 
was twice married, first to Miss Harriet 
M. Anderson, a native of Kentucky, 
whom he espoused in about 1848. They 
had four children. Of these only one is 
living, James F. Allgaier, of Shelbina, 
the immediate subject of this brief re- 
view. The father's second marriage was 
with Miss Amanda M. Williams and oc- 
curred in May, 1859. They became the 
parents of nine children, seven of whom 
are living : Albert W., of Shelby county ; 
Sebastian A., of Chicago; John J., of 
Wichita Kansas ; Eugene A., of Buchanan 
county, this state ; Catherine, the wife of 
Daniel S. O'Haron, of Richmond, Mis- 
souri; Mary A., the wife of Richard 
Rigney, of Shelbina ; and Michael Owens, 
of Sedalia, Missouri. In politics the 
father lived and died a Democrat of the 
old school. In religious belief and train- 
ing he was a Catholic. To his party and 
his church he was true and faithful, as 
he was to his family and every duty that 
called him to action. 

James F. Allgaier was born at George- 
town, Kentucky, on September 21, 1853. 
When he was three years old he was 
brought by his parents to this state and 
became a resident of Platte county. He 
began his education in the district 
schools of that county, continued it in 
those of Monroe county and finished it 
in those of Clinton county. After leav- 




GEN. J. WILLIAM TOWSON 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



215 



ing school he worked on his father's 
fann until 1881, acquiring strength of 
body and independence of spirit in its 
useful labors and from his continual 
communion with nature, and also the 
self-reliance and resourcefulness which 
result from conditions that recjuire every 
man to be ready for emergencies at a 
moment's notice. In 1881 he moved to 
this county and during the next three 
years followed farming and raising live 
stock on his own account. At the end 
of that period he took up his residence 
in Shelbina, where he clerked in a dry 
goods store for a short time, then en- 
gaged in the grocery trade for awhile. 
He grew tired of this line of merchandis- 
ing and sold his business in order that 
he might give his attention to the drug 
trade. 

Mr. Allgaier has been active in pro- 
moting the welfare of the town, taking 
a broad view of its needs and employing 
all his energy to aid in providing for 
them. His busy brain and tireless hand 
have lent their force to every commend- 
able enterprise for improving the city 
and augmenting the comfort and con- 
venience of its people. He has shirked 
no duty and gone at nothing worthj' of 
his attention in a half-hearted way. His 
value as a leading citizen is highly ap- 
preciated, and as an evidence of this fact 
he was elected mayor of the city in April, 
1907, and is still filling the office with 
great credit to himself and decided bene- 
fit to the community. In jiolitics he is a 
Democrat, in fraternal life a Modern 
Woodman and in religion a Catholic. 

In addition to his regular mercantile 
industry Mr. Allgaier is extensively en- 
gaged in feeding cattle and hogs, ship- 



ping large numbers of each to many dif- 
ferent parts of the country. He is also 
a stoclvholder and director of the Old 
Bank of Shelbina, the oldest bank in 
the county. On April 19, 1881, he was 
married to Miss Nancy E. Gaugh, a resi- 
dent of this county. She is an enthu- 
siastic second to his own generous in- 
tellectual hospitalitj', cordially welcom- 
ing and entertaining any good sugges- 
tion, no matter where it comes from, and 
seeking to make the best of it for the 
good of the people around her. To- 
gether they interest themselves in all 
worthy undertakings whereby the moral, 
mental and social agencies of the com- 
munity may be increased in usefulness, 
augmented in power and rendered more 
serviceable. They do not say or think 
this of themselves, and perhaps their 
modesty may be offended by having it 
said of them by others. But it is true, 
nevertheless, and worthy of being re- 
corded here where the makers and build- 
ers of the community are commended ac- 
cording to the disposition they have 
shown and the work they have done. 

GEN. J. WILLIAM TOWSON. 

The history of Maryland is glorious 
in peace and war. Her Old Line batal- 
lions confronted the scarlet uniform and 
glittering steel of Great Britain in the 
Eevolution from Bunker Hill to York- 
town. In the Mexican war her gallant 
soldiery was conspicuous in winning- 
some of the most spectacular victories 
of that short but decisive conflict. And 
when the clouds of civil strife burst with 
destructive fury over our unhappy land 
in 1861, the valor of her arms and brav- 



216 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ery of her sons were manifested on many 
a sanguinary field under both the Star 
Spangled Banner and the Stars and 
Bars. In the civic affairs of the country 
her statesmen have been farsighted, 
prudent and progressive. They stood 
by the Declaration of Independence with 
all their worldly possessions pledged to 
its supi)ort. It was their firm and far- 
seeing ijolicy that gave to the country its 
immense public domain. And in all 
other public matters they have been 
recorded on the side of right, justice and 
humanitJ^ 

Gen. J. William Towson, the interest- 
ing subject of this brief review, is a na- 
tive of Maryland, having been born in 
that state on March 2, 1839, near Will- 
iamsport, in Washington county. His 
parents were William and Louisa (Ham- 
me) Towson, the former a native of 
Maryland and the latter of Virginia. 
The father was a merchant and then a 
farmer and passed the whole of his life 
in his native state, dying in the region 
hallowed by his labors in 1868. He was 
a son of Jacob T. Towson, who also was 
born and reared in ^laryland, where he 
was an extensive landholder and planter, 
and also engaged extensively in mer- 
chandising, and wliere he dwelt from the 
beginning to the end of his life. He 
was a gentleman of prominence and in- 
fluence in the state, widely known 
throughout its extent and highly es- 
teemed by all classes of its people. He 
was of English ancestry but thoroughly 
imbued with the spirit of American in- 
stitutions and devotedly loyal to them 
according to his predilections and train- 
ing. 

General Towson, the subject of this 



sketch, grew to manhood and was edu- 
cated in Maryland, completing his scho- 
lastic training at schools in Baltimore. 
He began the battle of life for himself 
as a clerk in a wholesale drug store, and 
served in this capacity until the great 
Civil war called to its ranks the man- 
hood of the country to supply two mighty 
armies for fraternal and sectional strife. 
Following his convictions he went south 
— purely a volunteer — willing to offer 
up his life on the altar of his faith in 
defense of them. Mr. Towson enlisted 
in the Confederate army, commanded by 
the great military chieftain, Gen. Kobert 
E. Lee, as a member of the renowned 
"Black Horse Troop" of the Fourth 
Virginia Cavalry. In this command he 
served to the end of the war, except for 
a period of about thirty days, when he 
was a prisoner, having been captured at 
Warrenton, Virginia, in May, 1863. 

The command to which he was at- 
tached was that of Gen. Fitz Lee, one of 
the great fighting divisions of the South- 
ern army that fought its most memor- 
able conflicts between Washington and 
Richmond, the Confederate cajntal, bat- 
tling also at Gettysburg, Sharpsburg and 
elsewhere. He personally participated 
in many memorable engagements, such 
as Brandy Station, Eaccoon Ford, Aldie, 
Hanover, Carlisle and the battle of Get- 
tysburg in Pennsylvania, the Wilder- 
ness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, Yel- 
low Tavern, where the superb cavalry 
leader, Gen. J. E. B. Stuart, fell, Tra- 
villion Station, Winchestei*, the siege of 
Richmond by Grant, ending in the disas- 
trous conflict at Five Forks and the re- 
treat of what was left of that grand 
annv of Robert E. Lee, known as "The 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



217 



Army of Northern Virginia." to A))po- 
mattox, where he surrendered it to Gen. 
Grant. The war over, he stayed in Vir- 
ginia and Maryland until March, 1866. 

At the time last mentioned he came to 
Shelbina as land agent of the Hannibal 
& St. Joseph Railroad. He has ever 
since been actively engaged in selling the 
lands of the railroad company and the 
real estate business on his own account, 
and has been very successful in his un- 
dertakings. Being a man of very ener- 
getic and versatile mental equi]inient, he 
has also given attention to other lines of 
business, has been president of the Com- 
mercial Bank, vice-president of the Old 
Bank of Shelbina, serving it in that ca- 
pacity for a number of years, and is still 
one of its directors. All the affairs of 
the community of his home have had the 
benefit of his close and conscientious at- 
tention and the benefit of his intelligence 
in council concerning them and his enter- 
prise in promoting whatever was good 
for the people. 

Politically Mr. Towson is a Democrat, 
and under all circumstances he has taken 
an active and serviceable interest in the 
aft'airs of his party. As one of its lead- 
ing members he was elected mayor of 
Shelbina at the first election aft6r the 
incorporation of the municipality. He 
was knowing, courageous and indepen- 
dent in the performance of his official 
duties and gave the city an excellent ad- 
ministration of its affairs. His religious 
affiliation is witli the Presbyterian 
church and his fraternal allegiance is 
given to the Masonic order. In this fra- 
ternity he is prominent and well known 
all over the state. He holds the rank of 
Past Master in the Blue Lodge and has 



ascended the mystic ladder of the craft 
through many of its more elevated di- 
visions; is a Knight Templar and a 
Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He keeps 
the memories of his military service 
alive by prominent membership in the 
order of United Confederate A^eterans, 
in which he is now commander of the 
eastern half of Missouri, with the rank 
of brigadier-general . 

Mr. Towson was first married in 1868 
to Miss Gabie Combs, the nuptials being 
celebrated in Shelbina. Her life ended 
sadly in an accident on the railroad, 
April 13, 1890. His second marriage 
occurred October 20, 1891, and in this 
he became united with Miss Emma Mo- 
sher, who was born in Michigan. Mrs. 
Fowson entered the life eternal in July, 
1910. They had no children of their 
own, but reared an adopted daughter, 
who is now Mrs. Clyde F. Lloyd, of 
Chicago. 

For forty-three years Mr. Towson has 
been a resident of Shelbina and contrib- 
uted to its advancement and the substan- 
tial comfort and enduring welfare of its 
people. He is highly esteemed among 
them, being regarded as one of the lead- 
ing and most representative citizens of 
the community, and one of its most fruit- 
ful factors in business, social and gen- 
eral life. Although he has reached the 
limit of human life as fixed by the sacred 
writer, he is still hale, vigorous and 
active, and continues his industrious 
contributions to the business progress 
of the community. The record of his 
peaceful enterprise is written in its de- 
velopment, and the foundation for ad- 
vancement that he has helped to build is 
such that it will be creditable to and suf- 



218 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COU^^TY 



ficient for any superstructure that may 
be reared upon it. Living in it during 
the formative part of its history, he has 
done well his part, and has thereby given 
to those who may come after him a fine 
example of fidelity, breadth of view and 
high class citizenship which is well 
worthy of all imitation. 



THOMAS J. EICE. 

For a full quarter of a century a resi- 
dent of Shelby county, and during more 
than a third of the tune a citizen of Shel- 
bina, Thomas J. Rice has contributed his 
full share to the growth and develop- 
ment of this i)ortion of the state and 
done well his duty as an active and in- 
dustrious factor for good among this 
people. He is a native of the state, born 
in Scotland county on November 7, 1858, 
and although portions of his life have 
been passed elsewhere, he has always 
been deeply interested in the state of 
his nativity and the enduring welfare of 
its people. 

Mr. Eice is of Kentucky ancestry, his 
grandfather, Daniel C. Rice, having been 
born and reared in that state and hav- 
ing lived there many years. He is a 
son of Jackson A. and Margaret (Rose- 
borough) Rice, the former born in 
Hardin county, Kentucky, where his life 
began on December 25, 1835, and the lat- 
ter in Scotland county in this state. The 
father accompanied his parents to ]\Iis- 
souri when ho was but one year old and 
returned with tliem to Kentucky when 
he was four. The family remained in 
Kentucky three years, and in 1845 again 
became residents of Missouri, locating 



in Scotland county, where the father 
conducted a flourishing business as a 
farmer and breeder of live stock, in 
which his son united with him as soon 
as he was old enough. 

In 1860 the elder Mr. Rice went to 
California with an older brother. He 
was very successful in locating good 
claims in Colorado, having returned that 
far east after a short stay in California, 
and returned to this "state in 1863 with 
money enough to buy a farm near that 
of his father in Scotland county. He 
took up his residence on this farm, but 
it brought him a trying existence. Not 
only was the country wild and unde- 
veloped, and therefore difficult to bring 
to cultivation and fruitfulness, but the 
state militia was exceedingly trouble- 
some during the Civil war. The force 
was out of commission and many of its 
members, realizing that they were not 
responsible to any definite authority, 
roamed at will and committed continual 
depredations on unprotected settlers. 
Horses and cattle were stolen and run 
off by them, outhouses and even dwel- 
lings and personal violence was some- 
times inflicted. The Rice family bore 
its troubles bravely, enduring the wrongs 
it suffered with fortitude if not always 
with patience and forbearance, and at 
length conditions greatly improved 
for it. 

In 1867 the family moved to Clark 
county and located on a farm which it 
occupied and operated until 1903. when 
the father moved to Howell county, 
where he now resides. He was married 
in 1857 to Miss Margaret Roseborough, 
of Scotland county, this state. They be- 
came the parents of one child, their son. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



219 



Thomas J., who is the immediate sub- 
ject of this sketch. The father is au 
earnest Democrat in political faith and 
belongs to the Christian church. The 
mother died at the birth of our subject 
in 1858 and the father married a second 
time, his second wife being Euliama 
Morrill who is still living. They had 
three sous and three daughters. 

Thomas J. Eice attended the public 
schools in Scotland and Clark counties 
and also the Baptist College at Alex- 
andria, Missouri. Upon the completion 
of his education he went to Arkansas, 
where he remained five years, teaching 
school during the winter months and act- 
ing as private secretary for Robert Mc- 
Clelland, a wealthy cattle man, during 
the summers. At the end of the period 
mentioned he returned to Missouri and 
passed one year in Shelbina as a clerk 
and salesman for W. H. Dye, then one 
of the leading general merchants of the 
city. He next located on a farm near 
Shelbina, on which he dwelt eleven years. 
From that farm he moved to another 
near Lentner which he occupied and 
worked for five years. In August, 1901, 
he returned to Shelbina, and here he has 
ever since resided. He is now busily en- 
gaged in the real estate and fire insur- 
ance business, largely in behalf of the 
Farmers' Mutual Fire Association of 
Shelby county, of which he has been 
president since 1897. 

Mr. Rice's interests are numerous and 
valuable. He is a large landowner, a 
stockholder in the Old Bank of Shelbina 
and connected with several other enter- 
prises of moment in themselves and 
highly beneficial to the community. He 
was also one of the founders of the 



Farmers' & Merchants' Bank, which is 
now the Shelbina National Bank, and one 
of its first stockholders and directors. 
He is a Democrat in politics and holds 
membership in the Order of Odd Fel- 
lows, the Modern Woodmen of America 
and the Order of Royal Neighbors fra- 
ternally. He is also an active and zeal- 
ous church worker, being steward of the 
congregation to which he belongs in the 
Methodist Episcopal church. South. 

On April 30, 1885, Mr. Rice was mar- 
ried to Miss Ida M. Freeland, of this 
county. They have had five children, 
three of whom are living. These are: 
Vivian, wife of P. G. Fox, of Shelbina; 
and Giles G. and Freeland R., who are 
living at home. Margaret died in 1909. 
Exemplifying in their daily lives all do- 
mestic and social attributes, and giving 
to those around them examples in every 
relation which are worthy of all imita- 
tion, ]\tr. and Mrs. Rice are justly re- 
garded as among the best and most esti- 
mable citizens of the county, and are uni- 
versally respected and admired as such. 

WILLIAM H. GILLISPIE. 

Actively engaged in a business of uni- 
versal interest and value to all classes 
of the community, prominent in social, 
fraternal and church relations, and tak- 
ing always a good citizen's share of the 
burden of public affairs u]ion himself, 
AA'iUiam H. Gillispie, of Shelbina, is one 
of the leading and most serviceable men 
in the world of Shelby county life, and is 
universally esteemed as such. He was 
born in this state on June 24, 1875, a 
native of Monroe county, but comes of 
good old Kentuckv stock. His grand- 



2-10 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



father, Angel Gillispie, was born and 
reared in the Bhie Grass state and in- 
herited from his ancestors a decided ten- 
dency to adventure and conquest. The 
same spirit that led them to leave the 
older and more civilized sections of the 
countrj^ and brave the hardships and 
privations, the daily toils and nightly 
perils of frontier life in the wilds of Ken- 
tucky, impelled him to turn his back upon 
the home of his youth, and in early man- 
hood become a pioneer in Missouri and 
hew out a pathway of progress in manly 
endeavor for hunself in this then unset- 
tled country, which was slill fraught 
with hazards that always lie beyond the 
boundaries of civilization. 

Accordingly he gathered his household 
goods about him, bringing his family to 
what is now Missouri when his son, John 
W. Gillispie, the father of William H., 
who is the occasion of this writing, was 
but a child. On the virgin soil of our 
present state John W. Gillispie grew to 
manhood and obtained the limited ex- 
tent of scholastic training that was then 
available in the wilderness. Upon reach- 
ing his maturity lie turned his attention 
to farming, and tliis proved to be his 
life's occupation, for he continued at it 
imtil his death in 1884. He was married 
in 1870 to Miss Alice Crow, of Monroe 
county, and they became the ])arents of 
six children, all of whom are living, and 
in various capacities contributing to the 
growth and develo])ment of the country. 
They are : Jacob C, who lives in Shel- 
bina ; Maude, the wife of R. A. Threlkeld, 
of Rhelliy county; Edward, who is a 
prominent citizen of Monroe county; 
William H., of Shelbina; Elsie, who is 
living at home; and John M., who is also 



one of the wideawake and progressive 
men that give life and interest to the 
business and social life of Shelbina. The 
father was a devoted member of the 
Democratic party in whose ])rinciples he 
saw the best theory of government under 
our constitution, and in religious affairs 
adhered to the doctrines and teachings 
of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
South. 

William H. Gillispie obtained his early 
education in the district schools of Mon- 
roe county and later attended a good 
business college at Hannibal, Missouri, 
from which he was graduated in 1895. 
When his preparation for the battle of 
life was completed he entered upon the 
struggle as a clerk for his uncle, Frank 
Crow, who carried on an extensive mill- 
ing business at Shelbina, Missouri. He 
then passed three years as a clerk in the 
employ of Messrs. Smith & Bowling, 
leading merchants of Shelbina. 

He had not yet found his proper bear- 
ings in business and continued in search 
of them. He next engaged in the real 
estate and abstract business in associa- 
tion with the present state senator from 
Shelbina, Hon. George W. Hmnphre^', 
whose life story is briefly recorded on 
another page of this volume. He re- 
mained with IMr. Humphrey until 1902, 
when he purchased the interest of the 
senator in the business and took in as 
new partners J. H. Wood and R. L. 
Thomas, the firm name being Wood, 
Thomas & Gillispie. This firm continued 
in business until 1907. In that year Mr, 
Wood sold his interest in the enterprise 
to his partners, and tiiey have since been 
conducting the business under the name 
and style of Thomas & Gillispie. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



221 



At all stages of the game Mr. Gillispie 
lias been successful aud prosperous. He 
owns considerable real estate in this 
county, in Kansas City, and in otlier 
parts of the state. He is widely and 
favorably known as a business man of 
integrity and intelligence, a citizen of 
great public spirit and progressiveness, 
aud a gentleman of social culture and 
genial disposition and manners. He is 
a Democrat in politics, an Odd Fellow 
and a Modern Woodman of America in 
fraternal relations and a member of the 
Methodist Ejiiscopal Church South in 
religious affiliation. 

The city of Shelbina and the whole of 
the surrounding county are much in- 
debted to him for his activity and stimu- 
lating example in the matter of improve- 
ment and development, and the people al- 
ways expect to find him at the front in 
behalf of any worthy and commendable 
enterprise in which the welfare of the 
public is involved; and they are never 
disappointed in this respect. In addi- 
tion to being active in such matters, he 
is also far-seeing and resourceful, and 
his aid is always valued whether it be 
given in coimsel or in zealous and pro- 
ductive service as a worker. His citizen- 
ship is elevated and elevating; his ex- 
ample is impressive and stimulating; his 
fidelitj' to duty is constant and effective. 
No man stands higher in the regard of 
the people and none deserves more in 
the w^ay of respect and good will. 

JOHN T. GOSE. 

John T. Gose and George Gose are 
the sole surviving children of John S. 
Gose and Margaret A. Gose. They were 
born on what is known as the Gose farm, 



in Monroe county, Missouri, and one and 
one-half miles south of Shelbina. They 
lived on the farm until the death of their 
father in 1873, and then moved with their 
mother to Shelbina where they still live. 
Margaret A. Gose died in October, 1905. 

John S. Gose was born in Virginia and 
was a son of Levi Gose and ]\Iary Gose, 
nee Davis. They came to this state in 
the thirties and settled in Monroe county. 

Margaret A. Gose was a daughter of 
Angel Gillispie and Lucinda Gillispie, 
nee Spencer. Her father and mother 
were native Kentuckiaus and came to 
Monroe county soon after Missouri be- 
came a state. She was born on the old 
Gillispie place near Old Clinton, Mon- 
roe county, in 1834, and first married 
to William Lasley. C. H. Lasley, of 
Shelbina, is the only surviving child of 
this marriage. 

John T. Gose was two years old when 
the family moved to Shelbina. He at- 
tended the public schools and the Shel- 
bina Collegiate Institute, graduating in 
1888. He spent one year in the mercan- 
tile business in Monroe City, Missouri, 
and then entered Central College at 
Fayette, Missouri, from which institu- 
tion he received the degree of A.B. in 
1894. The following year he held a 
scholarship in Vanderbilt University at 
Nashville, Tennessee, and in 1896 this 
institution conferred upon him the de- 
gree of A. M. 

In the fall of 1896 he returned to Cen- 
tral College as professor of philosophy, 
but soon resigned this position to enter 
the ministry. He spent the next two 
years preaching in Keytesville, Missouri, 
and then resigned from the ministry to 
become a iiost graduate student in the 



223 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



University of Chicago. From the Uni- 
versity of Chicago he went to Culver 
Military Academy as professor of Eng- 
lish and history. At the close of the 
school year he returned to Chicago and 
matriculated at the Illinois College of 
Law. This institution conferred upon 
him the degrees of LL.B., LL.M., and 
D.C.L., made him a professor iia the col- 
lege and chose him, with its president, as 
delegate to the "Universal Congress of 
Lawyers and Jurists," at the Louisiana 
Purchase Exposition. 

In 1903 he resigned his position in the 
law school to return to his native state 
to practice law. He located in St. Louis 
and was engaged in the active practice 
of law in that city until the fall of 1906 
when he returned to Shelbina where he 
now lives and practices his profession. 

On December 21, 1904, he was married 
to Miss Eugenie Burruss Blocker, of 
Marshall, Texas. They have one child — 
George Blocker Gose. 

HARRY J. LIBBY. 

The law is a jealous mistress and 
exacts the utmost devotion and fidelity 
from her votaries. At the same time, 
she is generous and bestows her bounty 
with unstinted hand upon her deserving 
worshipers. Harry J. Libby, one of the 
leading lawyers of Shelby county, young 
man as he is yet, learned of her exactions 
early in the study of his profession and 
determined to meet the requirements, if 
assiduous effort and close application 
on his part would enable him to do it. 
He has paid his devotions at tiie shrine 
of Themis with the ardor of a zealot, 
and the goddess of his worsliip has re- 



warded his constancy with imperial gen- 
erosity, enabling him to win high rank 
as a lawyer and prominence and influ- 
ence as a citizen. 

Mr. Libby was born at Laclede, Linn 
county, Missouri, on July 31, 1885, and 
is a son of Judge Oscar F. and Rebecca 
J. (Watson) Libby, the former a native 
of Minnesota and the latter of this state. 
The father was born in 1851 and is a 
member of the Pioneers' Society of his 
native state. He also was bred to the 
law and has been iu active general prac- 
tice from the time of his admission to 
the bar, except during his service as dis- 
trict judge, which lasted a number of 
years. His professional studies were 
carried on iu Linn county, this state, of 
which he became a resident in 1868. He 
was admitted to practice in that county, 
and he is still living at Laclede and still 
engaged in conducting a large and re- 
munerative practice. He is of English 
ancestry. The mother is also still living, 
and like her husband, stands high in the 
regard of all who have the benefit and 
pleasure of knowing and associating with 
her. 

Their son, Harry J. Libby, began his 
scholastic training in the public schools 
of his native town and completed it at 
high school in Brookfield in the same 
county, from which he was graduated. 
He read law under the direction of his 
distinguished father, and was admitted 
to the bar of his native county in 1905. 
He at once began practicing in associa- 
tion with his father at Laclede, the firm 
name being 0. F. & H. J. Libby. But he 
was ambitious of making a reputation 
for himself unaided by family influence, 
and building his professional career ac- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



223 



cording to his own design. Therefore, 
in 1907, he started out for himself in 
independent practice, removing to Clar- 
ence for the purpose. In October of the 
year last mentioned he changed his resi- 
dence to Shelbiua, where he now enjoys 
a steadily inci'easing practice and is well 
established among the leading lawyers 
of the county. 

Mr. Libby has taken nothing for 
granted and left nothing to chance in his 
professional work. He is well grounded 
• in the basic principles of the law, and 
has also made himself master of the in- 
terpretations the courts have made of it. 
In addition, he has studiously acquired 
freedom and fluency in speech and alert- 
ness and skill in the trial of cases, so that 
he is both a judicious counselor and an 
able and resourceful advocate. He is, 
besides, a gentleman of high character 
and culture, exemplifying in his inter- 
course with his professional brethren 
and the people generally all the bland 
amenities of life and an exalted sense 
of uprightness and personal integrity. 

In the public affairs of the county he 
has manifested a helpful practical in- 
terest and a constant readiness to aid in 
promoting every worthy undertaking for 
the good of the people among whom his 
useful labors are performed. In politics 
he is allied with the Democratic partj^ 
and is one of the most resourceful and 
effective workers for the success of his 
party in all its campaigns. His frater- 
nal connections are with the ^Masonic 
order, the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the 
IModern Woodmen of America. In each 
of these organizations lie takes an active 



interest and makes himself a serviceable 
and valued member. 

On October 21, 1909, Mr. Libby was 
united in marriage with Miss Carrie 
Belle Young, a native of Linn county, 
Missouri, and a daughter of Eobert and 
Emma (Bradley) Young. Her father, 
who is now deceased, was one of the most 
prominent and successful merchants of 
Brooklield, and one of the most highly 
respected and representative citizens of 
the county of his home. Mr. and Mrs. 
Libby are zealous and energetic mem- 
bers of the Christian church, sincerely 
devoted to its welfare and progress and 
earnest workers in the promotion of 
every phase of its useful activity. In 
all parts of Shelby county they are es- 
teemed as among its leading citizens, and 
throughout a large extent of the sur- 
rounding country they are held in cordial 
and appreciative regard by all classes of 
the people. 

WILLIAM A. MAUPIN. 

Beginning life for himself as a farmer 
and breeder of superior strains of live 
stock, and forced by declining health to 
retire from pursuits so ardiious and 
exacting, William A. Maupin, of Shel- 
bina, has nevertheless continued to fill 
an imiDortant place in the community 
and contribute essentially to its advance- 
ment and the substantial welfare of its 
peojjle. He is an extensive dealer in real 
estate of his own holdings and serves 
the Commercial Bank of Shelbiua as a 
stockholder and director. 

Mr. Maupin was born in Monroe 
county, this state, on March 4, 1860. He 
is a scion of old Virginia families which 



224 



JllSTUKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



dwelt on the soil and helped to promote 
the wealth and greatness of the Old Do- 
minion for generations, keeping up in 
their daily lives the lofty standard of 
its citizenship and doing all in their 
power to dignify and adorn its domestic 
and social life. Mr. Maupin's grand- 
father, Thomas G. Maupin, left the home 
of his fathers when he was in the full 
maturity of his manhood, and came to 
the wilderness west of the Mississipi^i to 
aid in subduing it to civilization and 
found a new home and shrine for the 
family on the far frontier. He arrived 
in this state in 1832 and located in Mon- 
roe county, where at an advanced age 
he died on a farm he had redeemed from 
the waste and made fruitful and at- 
tractive. 

His son, Wiliam H. Maupin, who was 
the father of "William A., was born in 
Virginia on May 20, 1816, and was six- 
teen years old when the family moved 
to this state. For a number of years he 
worked on his father's farm, helj)ing to 
break up the stubborn soil, and lending 
his assistance to the limit of liis powers 
in making it over into a comfortable and 
valuable home. In January, 1848, he 
was married to Miss Lizzie Maupin, who 
was a distant relative of the family and 
a native of Kentucky. The young couple 
settled at once on a farm of their own 
and began a useful and profitable career 
as farmei-s and live stock producer.s. 
They flourished in their enteri)rise, mak- 
ing steady gains in material substance 
<md winning their way to extensive pop- 
ular ajjpreciation and approval. Four- 
teen children were born to them, and of 
the fourteen seven are living: Mary A., 
tlie wife of K. 0. Estill, of Kansas Oitv, 



Missouri; Thomas C, a prominent citi- 
zen of Monroe county; Judge E. G. 
Maupin, of Shelbina; William A., also 
living in Shelbina; Minnie, the wife of 
E. J. King, of Shelbina ; Joseph F., of 
Shelbina; and Dr. Robert E., of Dwight, 
Illinois. The father gave his support 
through life to the Democratic party in 
political affairs and for long years was 
a devout and consistent member of the 
Methodist Episcopal church. South. The 
mother of these children died December 
19, 1878, and the father in 1888. 

William A. Maupin obtained his edu- 
cation in the district schools of ^fonroe 
county, leaving the altars of Cadmus at 
an early age to engage in the struggle 
for advancement in life as a farmer and 
breeder of live stock. He continued his 
farming operations for a number of 
years until, as has been noted, the state 
of his health obliged him to seek a less 
active and exacting pursuit. He still 
retains his interest in his farm and live 
stock industry but does not give them his 
whole attention. He now resides in 
Shelbina and is an important factor in 
the business and social life of that city. 
His chief occupation is connected with 
the purchase and sale of real estate as 
a member of, or in conection with, the 
firm of Dennis & Mau]iin of Clovis, New 
Mexico. He has extensive holdings of 
his own and carries on an active and 
thriving business. He is also connected 
with the financial and mercantile activi- 
ties of the community in other lines, be- 
ing a stockholder in and one of the 
directors of the Commercial Rank of 
Shelbina, as has been stated, and having 
a part in the management of other frscal 
or mercantile concerns. He is also zeal- 




JOHN T. COOPER 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



225 



ous and industrious iu making invest- 
ments for those who have capital and 
leading them to a wise use of their 
money, his judgment iu this respect be- 
ing highly valued and generally relied 
on. He is active in the affairs of the 
county, state and nation as a Democrat 
of firm convictions and serviceable loy- 
alty, and in the fraternal life around 
him as a Modern Woodnmn of America 
and a Knight of the Maccabees. 

Mr. Maupin has been very successful 
in business and he stands high in the 
social world. On all sides he is regarded 
as a leading and representative citizen, 
and as such he enjoys the esteem and 
good will of the whole community. On 
October 8, 1886, he was married to Miss 
Carrie Morrison, of Monroe county. They 
have four children all of whom are liv- 
ing' at liome with their parents and add- 
ing ))rightness and hap]3iness to the 
domestic fireside. They are three sons, 
Howard 'S., now attending the Chicago 
Medical University ; James and Warren, 
and one daughter, Mildred. 

For three generations this family has 
been a potential element in the develop- 
ment and progress of Missouri, and now 
that it is firmly planted on the soil of 
the state and become a part of its pro- 
ductive and advancing life, the increas- 
ing usefulness of its members in all 
social, political and religious relations, 
as time passes, may be counted upon for 
liigher achievements and more extensive 
results. That is the jn-omise embodied 
in its past and plainly shown in the pres- 
ent. For the children of the household 
are imbued with the spirit of their par- 
ents and are day ))y day exemplifying 



the teachings given them by precept and 
example around the family hearthstone. 

JOHN T. COOPER 

Among the citizens of Shelby county, 
Missouri, from the beginning of its au- 
thentic history, none has stood higher in 
public esteem or been more entitled to 
universal regard tlian the late John T. 
Cooper, of Shelbyville, who l)ecame a 
resident of the county in 1846 and passed 
the remainder of his life in that city, 
ending a useful career as- a merchant, 
manufacturer, farmer, stockman and 
l)anker, which covered nearly fifty years 
there, on July 31, 1893, and was alto- 
gether successful in every particular, 
lie became master of every occupation 
in which he engaged and of every sit- 
uation in which he found himself, and 
gave to this locality a fine example of 
the vigor, resourcefulness and self-reli- 
ance of American manhood. 

Mr. Cooper was born in Scott county, 
Kentucky, on September 1, 1817, and 
was a sou of Samuel and Jane (Tarlton) 
Cooper, also natives of Kentucky. He 
came to Missouri in 18-12 and located in 
Paris, Monroe countj^ where he worked 
at his trade as a saddler and harness 
maker for a period of four years. He 
learned his trade in his native state and 
learned it well. He had also fine busi- 
ness ability, and this helped to develop 
and expand his usefulness to the com- 
munities in which he lived and his own 
IH-osperity. In 1846 he moved to Shel- 
byville, and here he founded his first 
saddlery and harness shop. He gave his 
business close and careful attention and, 
for a time, devoted himself exclusively 



2-^6 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



to building- it up. It grew to great im- 
portance in this part of tlie state, having 
the advantages of early establishment, 
excellent management and first class 
reputation for the quality of its output 
in material and workmanship. 

Having gained a foothold in the city 
and won substantial prosperity, ^Ir. 
Cooper turned his attention to farming 
and raising live stock as a side line for 
the employment of his surplus energy. 
He bought 1,000 acres of laud and on it 
conducted extensive operations in farm- 
ing and raising stock. He gave special 
attention to raising mules, handling from 
125 to 150 annually for a number of 
years with great success and profit. 
"\\Tien his three sons arrived at the nec- 
essary capacity and development to 
handle this business he turned it over 
to them, and from that time until his 
death gave his whole attention to his har- 
ness and saddlery business and a lively 
trade in real estate which he had worked 
up from a small beginning, and his bank- 
ing interests. 

He was one of the founders of the 
Shelby County Savings Bank, which was 
started in 1874, and one of tlie most po- 
tential factors in preparing the way for 
it. When it was organized he was elect- 
ed president and as such conducted its 
affairs for several years. Then he and 
Mr. Dimmitt, his partner in another en- 
terprise, bought all the stock of the in- 
stitution and converted it into a private 
bank known as the Cooper & Dimmitt 
bank, to which for awhile he gave his 
whole energy, leaving the management 
of his harness trade to Julies Ritter. He 
was also a member of the firm of AV. A. 
Dimmitt & Co., dealers in carriages and 



other road vehicles. The Cooper & Dim- 
mitt Bank was one of the soundest and 
best managed financial institutions in 
this part of the state and enjoyed a wide 
and exalted reputation in the business 
world. 

Mr. Cooper was married on Septem- 
ber 6, 1848, to Miss Frances Shambaugh, 
a native of Caroline county, Virginia. 
They had three children, their sons, 
Alonzo, John H. and David L., all resi- 
dents of this county, where John and 
David died some years ago, leaving 
Alonzo the only survivor of the family. 
A sketch of his life will be found in this 
work. The father retired from active 
work a few years before his death, but 
to the end kept his finger on the pulse ' 
of all his business interests. i 

JAMES E. RAGSDALE. j 

From his boyhood James E. Eagsdale, 
of Sheibina, has mingled with the people 
of ]\Iissouri and been a pai't of the 
state's pi'oductive activity. He was born 
in Monroe county on April 23, 1841, and 
is a son of James and Sallie (Deaver) 
Ragsdale, natives of Kentucky. The 
father came to this state in 1830 and lo- 
cated in Monroe county, where he was 
extensively engaged in farming and rais- 
ing live stock until his death on June 9, 
1850. High hopes blazed his way into 
the wilderness and he was subsequently 
rewarded by their full fruition. Fortune 
did not jest with him, as she does with 
many, but gave him opportunity to se- 
cure her bounty if he was willing to pay 
the price she exacted in sacrifice, endur- 
anc" and ]Kitient toil. She was dealing 
with sturdiness of character and deter- 



IIISTOh'Y OF SHELBY COUNTY 



227 



miuatiou of purpose, and she unbound 
her treasures to them in recognition of 
their worth. 

Just one year after his arrival in the 
state the father was united in marriage 
with a lady of his choice, Miss Sallie 
Deaver, who was, like himself, "bred in 
old Kentucky'." They became the par- 
ents of seven children, four of whom are 
living — Martha E., wife of Isaac Green- 
ing, of Monroe county ; James E., a resi- 
dent of Shelbina, and the subject of this 
record ; C. H. and Mary A., the wife of 
James A. Spencer, both living in this 
county. The father was a AVhig in polit- 
ical faith and allegiance and a member 
of the Christian church. He was success- 
ful in his farming and stock-raising 
o}jerations and became a man of consid- 
erable substance in a material way. 

James E. Ragsdale was born to a boy- 
hood and youth of privation and toil, as 
most of the offspring of the frontier are. 
He grew to manhood on his father's 
farm, taking his part in its labors and 
making the most of the slender oppor- 
tunities for academic training which the 
district schools of the neighborhood af- 
forded. Not only were their facilities 
very limited, but the terms during which 
tlioy wei'e in operation each year were 
short and confined to the winter months. 
For at all other seasons of the 3^ear all 
the available force in the community was 
required in the arduous work of conquer- 
ing and fructifying the wilds and pro- 
viding the means of subsistence for the 
daring adventurers who had braved their 
perils and stubborn inhospitality. 

At the age of thirty-one "Sir. Ragsdale 
bought a farm of his own, beginning over 
again for himself the work of develop- 



ment and improvement he had so zeal- 
ously assisted in for his father. On this 
farm he lived and carried on active 
operations in tilling the soil and raising 
live stock until 1902, when he sold the 
place and retired from active pursuits, 
taking up his residence in Shelbina. He 
did not, at this time, however, turn his 
back upon the duties of life, but only cut 
out the more laborious and exacting 
ones. He took an immediate interest in 
the business life of the community and 
became an important factor in carrying- 
it on to greater development and more 
extensive operations. He is the vice 
president and one of the directors of the 
Shelbina National Bank and own* con- 
siderable real estate in and around the 
city, to the care of which he gives dili- 
gent attention. 

He also takes a good citizen's part in 
the affairs of the city, county, state and 
nation, ardently supporting the Demo- 
cratic party in political matters and 
working with zeal and effectiveness for 
the welfare of the Christian church, of 
which he has long been a prominent and 
useful member. In the social life of 
Shelbina and the county he and his fam- 
ily are also active and prominent, hold- 
ing a high place in the regard of the peo- 
ple and showing that they deserve it by 
the interest they take in the welfare of 
those around them and the agencies that 
minister to their comfort, convenience 
and advancement. 

On December 6, 1870, Mr. Ragsdale 
imited in marriage with Miss Mary E. 
Cox, who was born and reared in this 
state. They became the parents of eight 
children, six of whom are living — John 
W., of Kansas City, Missouri; Winnie, 



228 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



the wife of Edward Acliuff, of Gallatin, 
Missouri; James E. ; Sallie Belle, the 
wife of W. S. Eller, of Mexico, j\Iis- 
souri ; Lelia M., the wife of Eipley Spen- 
cer, who lives in Shelby county ; and Mrs. 
Bird Estes, a resident of Shelbiua, who 
married Dr. Selsor, also of Shelbina, in 
the fall of 1910. 

Mr. Eagsdale is nearing the limit of 
human "life fixed by the Psalmist, but he 
is yet hale, vigorous and energetic. 
Whether there be much or little of an 
earthly career vouchsafed to him yet, the 
sunset of his day is mild and benigiiant, 
and the retrospect of its period of toil 
and trial must be pleasing to him. For 
he has lived acceptably and usefully, and 
can now see blooming and bearing fruit 
around him the progress and develop- 
ment of a great commonwealtli to whose 
advancement he has essentially contrib- 
uted, and many valued institutions which 
he has helped to foimd and has sustained 
and fostered with assiduous devotion and 
commendable generosity. He has lived 
for the community and its people, even 
while most industriously pushing for- 
ward his own fortunes, and their appre- 
ciation of his career is shown by the uni- 
versal esteem with which thej' regard 
him and his family. 

JOHN S. MILES. 

From his youth John S. IMiles, who is 
now one of the leading merchants of 
Shelbina, has been connected with the 
mercantile life of the city. All the activ- 
ities of his life in business have been 
given to that line of endeavor, and as he 
started in it with natural aptitude for its 
requirements and has had his faculties 



trained and developed in long experi- 
ence, it is not surprising that he has suc- 
ceeded and now stands in the front rank 
among the business men of this part of 
the state. 

Mr. Miles was born in ]\Ionroe county, 
this state, on April 19, 186J-, and is a son 
of "William F. and Nancy W. (Jackson) 
Miles, natives of Kentucky. The father 
passed many years of his life in his na- 
tive state, coming to Missouri in 1849 
with a colony of Kentuckiaus, who lo- 
cated near Paris, in the adjoining county 
of Monroe. There the father reared his 
family and passed his time in farming 
and raising live stock until 1866, when he 
sold the farm and moved to Shelbina, re- 
tiring from all active pursuits. He was 
married to Miss Nancy W. Jackson, 
a Kentuckian by birth and belonging 
to families long resident in that state. 
Mr. and Mrs. Miles became the parents of 
six children, three of whom are living — 
R. E., a resident of Santa Ana, Califor- 
nia; Susie, the wife of N. H. Langford, 
of Hannibal, Missouri ; and John S., who 
still lives at Shelbina. The father is an 
ardent Democrat in political allegiance 
and adheres to the principles of his 
party with steadfast loyalty, giving it 
active and effective aid in all its cam- 
paig-ns. His church relations are with 
the Baptists. 

John S. Miles obtained his education 
in the public schools of Shelbina. and 
having a decided turn toward merchan- 
dising, left school early to follow the 
path in life which nature and his owa 
predilection seeyied to have marked out 
for him. He began his mercantile career 
as a clerk and salesman in a hardware 
store, to which he rendered faithful 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



239 



service for three years, iisiug all his op- 
portunities and facilities in learning the 
business in detail and the ins and outs of 
mercantile life in general. He then 
clerked in the clothing establishment of 
Thompson & Miles until 1892, all the 
while expanding his knowledge of busi- 
ness, his acquaintance with men and his 
general intelligence concerning mercan- 
tile pursuits. 

In 1892 he formed a partnership with 
his older brother under the firm name of 
R. E. Miles & Bro., and during the next 
sixteen years they were extensively en- 
gaged in the clothing trade with great 
benefit to the community and consider- 
able profit to themselves. In 1908 the 
store and business was sold to W. H. 
Hanly, and Mr. Miles formed a new as- 
sociation in the same line of trade with 
T. F. Bates, with whom he is still con- 
nected and carrying on a vigorous and 
flourishing business, the firm being 
known as Miles & Bates. 

Mr. Miles is a man of substance and 
connected with a number of business en- 
terprises in the city and surrounding 
country, among them being the Old Bank 
of Shelbina, of which he is one of the 
stockliolders. His political faith is fixed 
on the principles of the Democratic 
jiarty, whose campaigns always enlist his 
attention and bring forth his active ef- 
forts for success, although he has no am- 
bition for official station or public life for 
himself. Fraternally he is a Knight of 
Pythias, and in religion he and his wife 
belong to the Baptist church. He is a 
zealous worker for both his fraternal or- 
der and his cluirch, and both enjoy the 
lienefit of his helpful zeal and energy. 
On October 19, 1892, he was married to 



Miss Lillian D. Sparks, of Shelbina. 
They have one child, their daughter Ada- 
line, who is the light and life of their 
pleasant home. 

JOHN T. BAILEY. 

Almost from his boyhood John T. Bai- 
ley, of Shelbina, who is one of the lead- 
ing business men of the city, has been 
contributing to the enjoyment of the peo- 
ple among whom he has lived, long as a 
teacher of vocal music and for nearly a 
quarter of a century as a dealer in musi- 
cal instruments. All living in his range 
who find pleasure in the "concord of 
sweet sounds ' ' have been indebted to him 
for many a soothing or a stirring enter- 
tainment and have ever been willing to 
acknowledge the obligation. He is now 
conducting also a flourishing business in 
undertaking and embalming, in which he 
has been interested since 1892. 

Mr. Bailey was born in Monroe county, 
in this state, on Se^jtember 25, 1851, and 
is a son of Tilmon 0. and Sarah A. (Stal- 
cujo) Bailey, the former born in Harrison 
county, Kentucky, and the latter in Vir- 
ginia. The father's life began on Octo- 
ber 29, 1822, and the first twenty-one 
years of it were passed in his native 
state, where he obtained his education 
and fitted himself for the active duties 
of progressive farming, which was his 
occupation until he retired from all active 
pursuits in 1904. He left the home of 
his childhood and youth as soon as he 
reached his majority and strode with 
confident step into the wilderness of the 
farther AVest with a view to making a 
home and a name for himself, daring the 
dangers and privations of the frontier 



230 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



with resolute courage and depending on 
his own endeavors with manly self re- 
liance. He took up a tract of land in 
Monroe county which was in a state of 
almost primeval wildness and converted 
it into a well-improved and highly culti- 
vated farm. On this he lived, engaged in 
farming and raising live stock until he 
determined to heed the admonitions of 
advancing years and jiass the evening of 
his long and toilsome day of earthly ex- 
istence in quiet and ease. In 1904 he 
moved to Slielbina, where he has ever 
since resided. 

This venerable citizen of the progres- 
sive community which he has known so 
long and helped so materially to build up 
and improve, is one of the patriarchs of 
the town. Not only is he far advanced in 
years, but he is also the father of a nu- 
merous family. He has been married 
twice, the first time in 1848, when he was 
united with Miss Mary Sherman, a na- 
tive of Missouri. They had one child, 
their daughter ]\lary, who is now the 
wife of John AV. Chambers, of Clarence, 
in this county. His second marriage was 
with Miss Sarah A. Stalcup, who was 
born in Virginia and reared in Monroe 
county, Missouri. Tliey became the par- 
ents of thirteen children, seven of whom 
are living and are : John T., the subject 
of this sketch; Elijah M., Tilmon A. and 
AA^illiam B., all residents of Shelbiua; 
Isaac N., who lives at Moberly, this state ; 
and Ernest T., who is a prominent citi- 
zen of Shannon county, Missouri. The 
father still takes an active part in politi- 
cal affairs and still follows the banner of 
the Democratic party, behind which he 
has marclieil from his youth. He is a 
member of the IMasonic order and of the 



Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The 
wife and mother died in March, 1908. 

John T. Bailey was reared to manhood 
on his father's farm in Monroe county 
and obtained his education in the district 
schools of the neighborhood. For ten 
years after leaving school he found con- 
tinual and profitable occupation as a 
teacher of vocal music and made a repu- 
tation for skill and capacity in the art 
which spread throughout his own and ad- 
joining counties. In 1886 he located in 
Shelbina and started a mercantile enter- 
prise in the sale of pianos, organs and 
other musical instruments and musical 
supplies. He took his brother William 
into the business as a partner in 1891, 
and during the next seventeen years the 
firm of Bailey Bros, flourished as the 
leader in the musical implement and sup- 
ply trade in this part of the state. 

On June 19, 1908, Mr. Bailey bought 
the interest of his brother AVilliam in the 
business and took as a new partner his 
son, Roy L. Bailey, changing the firm 
name to J. T. Bailey & Son, under which 
two generations of the family are still 
doing an extensive and popular business. 
Since 1892 the house has also been carry- 
ing on extensively in the undertaking 
and embalming line, the father having 
received his certificate as a well quali- 
fied and licensed embalmer on October 
16, 1895. 

Mr. Bailey's political faith is that of 
his father and the greater part of the 
men living around him. He has never 
wavered in his loyalty to the Democratic 
cause, and has for many years given it 
faithful and effective service in all its 
camiKiigns. He has also long been an 
active and zealous member of the South- 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



231 



ern Methodist eliurcli, contributing lib- 
erally to its advancement by energetic 
partiei])atiou in church work and with 
material aid for all its undertakings. He 
is influential in both business and church 
circles and he and his family are among 
the leading lights in the social world of 
the community, throughout all of which 
they are lughly esteemed and every- 
where warmly welcomed on all occasions. 
On June 20, 1880, Mr. Bailey was 
imited in marriage with Miss Eliza J. 
Baker, of Madison, Missouri. Of their 
four children three are living and all 
dwelling at the jjarental fireside. They 
are Mary Belle, Nannie Bess and Roy L. 
The social disposition of the parents and 
the presence of the children, who have 
inherited the same spirit, in the home 
make it a social center and a very popu- 
lar and hospitable resort for persons of 
all ages acquainted with the members of 
the household, and that includes almost 
everybody in the county and hosts from 
elsewhere. 

NEWTON E. WILLIAMS. 

Lawyer, editor, public official and man 
of affairs and winning high commenda- 
tion in all lines of activity in which he 
has been engaged, Newton E. Williams, 
of Shelbina, is one of the most successful 
and popular men in Shelby county. He 
is almost wholly the product of his own 
aliilities and energies, and he has made 
the most of his opportunities for ad- 
vancement in life. But he has not lived 
for himself alone. During all of his ma- 
ture life he has been deeply and intelli- 
gently interested in the welfare of the 
town and county of his home and has 
done all in his power to promote it. 



Mr. Williams was born in Adair coun- 
ty, Missouri, on October 10, 1869, and is 
a son of Gamaliel and Mary E. (Morgan) 
Williams, the fo]-mer a native of In- 
diana, where he was born on May 18, 
1838, and the latter a native of Ken- 
tucky, but at the time of her marriage a 
resident of Adair coimty, Missouri. They 
had six children and five of them are liv- 
ing — Lucy E., the wife of J. E. Bowers, 
who has her home in Colby, Kansas; 
Mary E., the wife of H. F. Davis, who is 
also a resident of Colby, Kansas; Alice, 
the wife of J. D. Bean, of Grand Junc- 
tion, Colorado; Newton E., of Shelbina; 
and Martha, the wife of Dr. M. W. Bai- 
ley, of Denver, Colorado. 

The father came to Missouri in 1852, 
when he was fourteen years old, and 
found a home in Adair county, where he 
grew to manhood and completed his edu- 
cation. After leaving school he engaged 
in farming and raising live stock, con- 
tinuing his operations with success and 
profit until 1904, when he retired from 
active pursuits and removed to Shelbina, 
and here he has ever since had his home. 
His marriage occurred in 1858. In poli- 
tics he is and always has been a Demo- 
crat. Fraternally he has long been affil- 
iated with the Masonic order, and in re- 
ligious association he is connected with 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. 

Newton E. Williams began his educa- 
tion in the district schools of Adair 
county, continued it at a select school at 
Brashear, in that county, and completed 
it at the Kirksville State Normal school. 
He studied law in Kirskville under the 
direction of M. D. Campbell and Hon. 
Isaac Morgan, probate judge of Adair 
county, and served as probate clerk for 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COLXTY 



one year after his admission to the bar 
in October, 1893. At the end of his serv- 
ice as a clerk of probate he began prac- 
ticing his profession at Kirskville, where 
he remained nntil July, 1897. He then 
moved to Shelbina and formed a partner- 
ship with R. A. Cleek, with whom he con- 
tinued to practice until 1902, the firm be- 
ing Cleek & AVilliams. The partnership 
was dissolved in the year last mentioned 
and Mr. Williams practiced alone and 
edited the Shelbina Torchlight, which he 
and Mr. Cleek bought in 1900. • 

In 1904 Mr. Williams was elected pros- 
ecuting attorney of Shelby county, and 
at the end of his first term was re-elected 
for another. This ended on January 1, 
1909. At the time of his first election he 
sold his interest in the newspaper and 
devoted himself wholly to his official du- 
ties until they were ended. He then 
bought the Shelbina Torchlight and has 
since been its sole owner and publisher. 
He is also a stockholder in the Shelbina 
National Bank and connected with other 
enterprises of moment and value to the 
community, in wliich he has always felt 
the deepest interest, and to which he has 
rendered effective and valued service in 
hel]iing to promote every undertaking 
for its advancement which he has deemed 
of worth. 

On August 29, 1895, Mr. Williams was 
united in marriage with Miss Rosa N. 
Deaton, a daughter of M. G. Deaton, of 
Kirskville. They have one child, their 
son Meredith, who is living at home with 
his ]iarents. The father's political alle- 
giance is given warmly and consistently 
to the Democratic party, and he has al- 
ways been very active and effective in 
its service, his work in its behalf being 



based on broad intelligence, good judg- 
ment and devoted loyalty to its princi- 
ples. His fraternal relations are with 
the Masonic order, the Order of the 
Eastern Star, the Court of Honor and 
the Modern AVoodmen of America, and 
his religious connection is with the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He 
has been very successful and is one of the 
leading and most influential citizens of 
the county, universally esteemed for his 
elevated manhood and his worth and use- 
fulness as a force for good in the com- 
munity of his home. 

JOSEPH R. RIDGE. 

For fifty-seven years this now vener- 
able citizen of Shelbina has been a resi- 
dent of Missouri and during all but two 
of them has dwelt in Shelby county. For 
more than half a century he was actively 
engaged in farming and raising live 
stock, first on the farm of his father as 
a boy and later on one of his own as a 
man. During his long activity in culti- 
vating the soil he contributed extensively 
and notably to the development and im- 
provement of the county and the aggre- 
gate of its wealth and influence. For he 
has always shown estimable public spirit 
and enterprise and given breadth of view 
and vitalizing force to worthy projects 
for the welfare of the section and the ad- 
vantage of its people. 

Mr. Ridge was born on January 31, 
1838, in Hickman county, Kentucky, the 
state of which his parents were natives 
and in which his ancestors lived for at 
least two generations before him, his 
paternal grandfather, Isaac Ridge, hav- 
ing been born and passed his life in that 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



2:W 



state. He is a son of AVilliam and Anna 
(Robey) Eidge, both products of the blue 
grass soil, on which the father's life be- 
gan on July 7, 181-1:. They were reared 
on farms and never sought any other 
occupation in life but that to which they 
were accustomed from childhood. In 
1852 they adventured into the wilderness 
beyond the ^lississippi from their home, 
planting their hearthstone on the fron- 
tier and giving their children the benefit 
of its sturdy and invigorating lessons in 
endurance and self reliance. The iirst 
two years of their residence in this state 
were passed on a farm in Monroe county. 
The family then moved into Shelby 
county and this has ever since been its 
home. 

The marriage of the parents occurred 
in Kentucky. They became the progeni- 
tors of six children, of whom three are 
living — Joseph E., the subject of this 
review; Martha E., the wife of Lewis 
Hale, of Shelbina; and William M., one 
of the prominent and influential citizens 
of this county. The father retired from 
the activities of life in 1875 and moved 
to Shelbina, where he died in 1877. He 
adhered to the Democratic party in all 
political affairs, and was to the end of 
his life vigorous and resourceful in the 
service of his party, although he never 
sought or accepted a public office. In 
religion he was a devout and consistent 
Catholic. 

Joseph E. Eidge grew to manhood on 
his father's farm and was well schooled 
in farm work by energetic partici]iation 
in it from his boyhood. He obtained his 
education in the district schools near his 
home, which were fair samples for their 
day and location of the many temples of 



Cadmus that stud the surface of our 
democratic empire, where liberty re- 
ceives her purest worship, and where, 
though in humble and lowly guise, she 
secretly breathes her strength into the 
heart and sinews of the nation. When he 
left school he turned his attention to 
what was then the leading pursuit of the 
county, agriculture, and from that time 
until 1903 he gave his whole energy and 
time to farming and raising live stock. 
He was a good manager and an excellent 
farmer, and his farming operations 
brought him large returns for the period, 
so that when he retired he was in the en- 
joyment of a competence which he had 
gained by his own industry, frugality 
and skill. In the year last named he sold 
his farm and took up his residence in 
Shelbina, of which he is now one of the 
most substantial and respected citizens. 
He has ever shown a good citizen's in- 
terest in the public affairs of the country 
and general welfare of the community of 
his home. Believing firmly in a govern- 
ment by the people, he was a staunch and 
zealous Democrat until the formation of 
the Populist party, and since then he has 
been devoted to its principles and effec- 
tive in supporting them and its candi- 
dates. On November 22, 1858, he was 
married to Miss Nancy Ann Hale, a na- 
tive of Tennessee, and, like himself, an 
adventurer into the wilderness of this 
state, as it was when they came into it. 
Of their eight children five are living — 
William L., of Shelbyville; ]\Iinnie, the 
wife of John Boettcher, of this county; 
Annie, the wife of Hugh Sparks, of Shel- 
bina; Joseph E., who lives in Illinois; 
and Allie, the wife of Theodore Bethards, 
of Shelbina. 



234 



HISTOIJY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Having- reached the age of three score 
and ten, Mr. Ridge might look upon him- 
self as an old man and consider that his 
day is past. But his health, energy and 
clearness of faculty all forbid this view 
to all who know him and share the bene- 
fits of his wisdom, feel the force of his 
influence or yield to the stimulus of his 
worthy example. They know that the 
fire within him is not spent and the fruit- 
fulness of his exemplary life is not over. 
And the esteem which all who know him 
bestow upon him as his due and the just 
tribute to his merit, shows that his years 
have been well passed in usefulness and 
the results of his labors are highly ap- 
preciated. 

SHELBIXA NATIONAL BANK. 

With a capital stock of $30,000 and a 
wise and farseeing directorate and of- 
ficial staff, the Shelbina National Bank 
well sustains itself as one of the sound- 
est, safest and best managed financial in- 
stitutions in this portion of the state. It 
was founded in 1905 as the Farmers & 
Merchants Bank and became a national 
bank in 1908. The founders of the Farm- 
ers & Merchants Bank were : President, 
John Munch; vice-president, W. L. 
Shouse; cashier, E. J. King; directors, 
John Munch, George W. 'Bryan, James 
F. AUgaier, Thomas J. Rice, N. E. TVill- 
iams, George Roff, AV. S. Fox, H. AL 
Pollard and Weldon Cotton. George W. 
O 'Bryan followed Mr. Munch as presi- 
dent, and T. A. Bailey succeeded E. J. 
King as cashier. 

In January, 1907, J. H. Wood and W. 
H. Jones ]nirchased an interest in the 
bank and the next vear it was reorgan- 



ized under its present name and with 
the following officers: President, J. H. 
Wood; vice-president, J. E. Ragsdale; 
cashier, W. H. Jones; directors, the 
above named ofiBcers and George W. 
'Bryan, George Roff, E. W. AVorlaud, 
0. F. Howell, G. G. Sanders and T. F. 
Bates. In March, 1910, Mr. W. H. 
Jones resigned as cashier and Oliver J. 
Lloyd was chosen to succeed him. 

HIRAM COLLINS. 

This veritable "Patriarch in Israel" 
among the people of Shelby county is not 
only one of the oldest and most esteemed 
citizens of this part of the state, but has 
been one of the most sturdy and indus- 
trious and one of those most truly repre- 
sentative of the founders and builders of 
the commonwealth, who laid the founda- 
tions of its greatness and planted in its 
soil the early seeds of civilization, which 
they and their successors have cultivated 
and developed into the magnitude, 
wealth and influence of the present day, 
when Missouri is an empire fragrant 
and fruitful in all the products of twen- 
tieth century life. 

Mr. Collins was born in Monroe coun- 
ty, Missouri, on January 31. 1828, and is 
a son of James and Sarah (Oglesby) Col- 
lins, the father a Kentuckian by birth 
and rearing, and the mother a native of 
Illinois. They became residents of Mis- 
souri in 1836, making their home in Mon- 
roe county, where they engaged profit- 
ably in farming and raising live stock 
until the death of the father in 1853. He 
was always a Democrat in politics, a zeal- 
ous promoter of the welfare of his com- 
mimity, an exemplar of sterling and pro- 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



235 



gressive citizenship aud a mau of great 
industry and frugality iu bis own affairs. 
Of liis two wives the one whose maiden 
name was Sarah Oglesby was the mother 
of his son Hiram aud seven other chil- 
dren, of whom but two are living — Jack- 
son, of Boonville, iu this state, aud 
Marion, a resident of Eaudolph county. 

Hiram Collins grew to manhood on his 
father's farm in Monroe county and re- 
ceived his education in the district school 
near his home. When he reached the age 
of twenty-two he was roused to adven- 
turous action by the alluring voices from 
the California gold mines and made his 
way to that then most promising region, 
which seemed to olTer all the wealth and 
wonders of the Arabian tales to men of 
endurance and enterprise. He remained 
on the Pacific slope five years, passing a 
part of his time in the mines and a part 
in mercantile life as a grocer, being lo- 
cated on the American river, near Sacra- 
mento. "What his adventures were, what 
measure of success he attained to, what 
hardships and privations he endured and 
what hopes and prospects he finally 
abandoned, need not be recited liere. It 
is enough to say that Missouri looked 
better to him than California, and that 
even prosaic life and slow accretions of 
fortune on one of her farms were more 
to his liking than the dramatic or roman- 
tic experiences or the wild dreams of af- 
fluence in what was at that time the El- 
dorado of the world. 

In 1855 he returned to this state and 
located in Shelby county, where he has 
ever since made his home. He once more 
tuined his attention to farming and rais- 
ing stock, continuing his efforts in these 
uneventful ]nirsuits until 1S94, when he 



gave up active exertions and entered 
upon a restful and undisturbed residence 
in Shelbina. He kept his farm for a num- 
ber of years, however, and superintended 
its operations until 1908, when he sold it. 
For many years he has been a zealous 
member of the Christian church and a 
helpful factor in all its good work for the 
betterment of the people in and around 
it. His political activity has always been 
expended in behalf of the principles and 
candidates of the Democratic party, to 
which he has been earnestly devoted 
from his youth. On April 3, 1856, he was 
married to Miss Mary Gose, of Monroe 
county. They have had eight children, 
five of whom are living — Bettie, wife of 
C. W. Adams, of Clarence; Laura, wife 
of Calvin Garrison, of Shelbina ; James, 
a resident of Choteau county, Montana ; 
George, who lives in Jamestown, Cali- 
fornia; and Frank, who is one of the 
leading citizens of Sherburn, Minnesota. 
Mrs. Collins died in the fall of 1897. 

HON. RICE G. MAUPIN. 

This eminent citizen of Shelby county 
and successful farmer and stock breeder, 
who is also one of the leading profes- 
sional men of Shelbina, is an ornament 
to the state of Missouri and a thoroughly 
representative man among her people. 
He has dig-nified and adorned several 
lines of serviceable endeavor, perform- 
ing the duties of each in a manner highly 
creditable to himself and satisfactory to 
those ai'ound him, bearing himself in 
every walk of life in such a way as to win 
and hold the confidence and esteem of all 
who know him. He is a brother of Wil- 
liam A. IMaupin, a sketch of whom will be 



2;J6 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



found in this work. In that sketch the 
history of the parents is given at some 
length, and from the recital an idea can 
be had of the atmosphere of the home in 
which Judge Maupin was reared and the 
lessons and examples given him at his 
parental fireside. 

Judge Maupin was reared on a farm 
and educated in the district schools of 
Monroe county, the circumstances of his 
early life affording no opportunity for 
farther jarogress into the domain of 
scholastic acquirements save what was 
furnished by his own reading and reflec- 
tion. But he made good use of the means 
he had in this direction and cjualified 
himself well for the honorable career he 
has wrought out for himself. When he 
left school he was willing to freely dis- 
pense to others the stores of learning he 
had gathered, and did so as a school 
teacher for. a period of nineteen years, 
two of which he devoted to schools in 
Shelbina. In the spring of 1897 he was 
elected commissioner of the schools of 
Shelby county, and the next year was 
chosen probate judge of the county, an 
honorable and responsible post, in which 
he is still giving the jjeople excellent 
service. 

While he was connected with the school 
system as teacher and commissioner he 
studied law as a matter of mental disci- 
pline and source of information, but not as 
yet with any view to ]iracticing the pro- 
fession. But in 1900 he determined to 
become a lawyer in fact and began to de- 
vote himself to the study with serious- 
ness and close a])])lication. He was ad- 
mitted to the bar in April, 190.'], and since 
that time he has been actively engaged 
. in the practice of the profession with a 



steadily increasing clientage and eleva- 
tion in rank as a practitioner, conducting 
his professional work in connection with 
his oflBcial duties and enlarging thereby 
his capacity for them. He also served as 
a member of the school board three 
years. 

As a means of relaxation from more 
serious and onerous work and as a source 
of entertainment and profit to himself, 
he has always been interested in farming 
and breeding stock, and is at this time 
(1911) giving considerable attention to 
liroducing a superior strain of registered 
saddle horses. It is manifest that his 
contributions to the development and im- 
provement of the county and state have 
been and are still extensive, and that his 
usefulness is well worthy of the high ap- 
jireciation in whicli it is held. In other 
lines of endeavor besides those already 
mentioned he has done his part for the 
advancement and enjojTnent of his fel- 
low men. In fraternal life he has long 
lield membership in several benevolent 
societies and devoted a liberal share of 
his time and energy to their advance- 
ment. He is a Knight of Pythias, a 
Knight of the Maccabess, a Modern 
Woodman of America and a member of 
the Court of Honor. His religious con- 
nection is with the Southern Methodist 
church and his political activity has al- 
ways been devoted to the success and 
welfare of the Democratic party. In the 
work of both _church and party he is 
zealous and energetic, and is recognized 
as an important factor, showing wisdom 
in council and great industry and re- 
sourcefulness in action, his primary con- 
sideration being the welfare of the cause 
to which he is attached, his own advance- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



237 



ment being a matter of secondary or in- 
cidental iuii)ortan('e. It is this patriotic 
devotion to the general weal that has 
given him so firm a hold on the regard 
of the people and rendered Ms services 
to them so vahial)]e and satisfactory. 

On December 26, 1880, Judge Maupin 
was married to Miss Emma Chapman, of 
Monroe county, who is still the light and 
life of his pleasant home and the center 
of attraction for their hosts of admiring 
friends and appreciative acquaintances. 
Of the nine children which have bright- 
ened and sanctified their domestic shrine 
eight are living, one having died in in- 
fancy. Those living are: Elizabeth W., 
the wife of D. S. Buckman, of Chilli- 
cothe, Illinois; Minnie Lee, the wife of 
Arthur Lundin, of Orion, Illinois ; 
Charles Byron and Paul Anderson, resi- 
dents of Shelbina ; and Anna Matt, Em- 
ma Ricie, Temple Graves and Bob N., 
who are still under the parental rooftree. 

Judge jMaupin has been very success- 
ful in all his business undertakings and 
entirely faithful in the performance of 
his official duties in every post of public 
resiwnsibility he has held. He ranks high 
in his professon and is elevated and 
high-toned in his citizenship. He is de- 
voted to the welfare of the commujiity in 
which he lives and interested earnestly 
and practically in the good of its people. 
His admirable qualities of head and 
heart, his wide fund of information and 
mastery and geniality in the use of it and 
his unvarying grace and gentility of 
manner, whether as advisor or compan- 
ion, have united to make him one of the 
most popular men in the county and give 
him a well deserved eminence in the 
state. 



THOMAS L. PUCKETT. 

Connected with the mercantile and 
other business interests of Shelbina from 
the time when he was twenty-one years 
of age and before that for two years with 
those of Pilot Grove, in Cooper county, 
Thomas L. Puckett has passed the whole 
of his mature life in usefulness to the 
people of this state, and by the manli- 
ness of his course, the loftiness of his 
character, the inflexibility of his integ- 
rity and his devotion to the welfare of 
the community in which he lives, has 
risen to a position of prominence and 
universal popularity among them. He 
has been successful in his operations, ac- 
cumulating a competence for his family 
and by this means enlarging his own 
power for good to the town and county 
and extending its use in the service of 
the people as rapidly as it increased. 

Mr. Puckett was born on September 7, 
1864, in Hardeman county, Tennessee, 
and is a scion of old North Carolina fam- 
ilies who dwelt in the Old North State 
from an early period in American his- 
tory. His grandfather, Leonard A. 
Puckett, was a native of that state, but 
left it while he was yet a young man for 
what was then the wildei'ness of South- 
western Tennessee. There he located 
and passed the remainder of his life 
jirofitably engaged in farming and rear- 
ing his family with the best surroundings 
and opportunities in life he was able to 
give it under the circumstances. His son, 
Thomas A. Puckett, was born in that sec- 
tion, his life beginning in Hardeman 
county on June 4, 1833. He grew to man- 
hood on the farm, aiding zealously in its 
arduous labors and hel])ing to make it 



238 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



over from an unbroken wild into a culti- 
vated and well improved farm. But 
profitable and independent as lie found 
the farmer's industry in that time and 
locality, he had a taste and found within 
him eajjacity for a career of a different 
kind. He studied medicine, received the 
degree of M. D. from a medical college, 
and during all the peaceful years of his 
subsecjuent life devoted himself faith- 
fully to his practice in the region of his 
nativity. He had been reared in loyalty 
to the doctrine of state sovereignty, and 
when he felt that it was assailed by the 
trend of national politics, in common 
with most other Southern people, he 
thought it his duty to resist what he con- 
sidered dangerous encroachments on the 
fundamental principles of the govern- 
ment. Accordingly, at the beginning of 
the Civil war he enlisted in the Confed- 
erate army and during the continuance 
of that memorable struggle freely of- 
fered his life on the altar of his faith. 

On June 19, 1860, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Susan Victoria Ford, 
who was born in Anderson county, Ken- 
tuclvj', in 1849. She shared his struggles 
and did her part toward winning his suc- 
cess. And when he felt impelled by his 
sense of duty to join the army, she did 
not resist his purpose, but rather forti- 
fied his convictions and helped him 
buckle on his armor. She was a woman 
of strong determination and purpose. 
After being left a widow she moved to 
Shelbina and taught in public schools of 
Shelbina for fourteen years. Of their 
offspring, which numbered five, namely: 
Jeremiah D., Thomas L., Charles F., 
Basil D., Mary A., their son Thomas, the 
immediate subject of this memoir, is the 



only one now living and the only sui*- 
vivor of his family. The father died at 
his Tennessee home on April 17, 1872. 
The mother and the four last named 
children then moved to Shelbina, where 
she died on April 26, 1892. She was a 
true and devoted Christian of the Baptist 
church, of which she had been a member 
for many years. Basil D. and Mary A. 
died soon after moving to Shelbina ; 
Jeremiah D. died in Tennessee; Charles 
F. grew to manhood in Shelbina. 

Thomas L. Puckett obtained his early 
scholastic training in the public schools 
of Shelbina and completed the education 
begun in them at the Shelbina Collegiate 
Institute and the college at Pilot Grove, 
in Cooper county. After completing the 
course at Pilot Grove he passed a year 
in attendance at the St. Louis College of 
Pharmacy, and in 1882 began his mercan- 
tile career as a clerk in a drug store at 
Pilot Grove. Some time later he bought 
the business of his employer, W. F. 
AVliite, and during the next two years 
he conducted it himself. At the end of 
that period he sold it and returned to 
Shelbina, where for three years he was 
one of the proprietors of a flourishing 
grocery. In time he sold his interest in 
this establishment and in 1894 began 
operating in real estate, loans and in- 
surance in company with Charles B. 
Martin, under the name and style of 
Puckett & Martin. The fiiTn is still in 
business and carrying on extensively. 
It is recogTiized as one of the leading 
ones in the line in this part of the state, 
and has a high reputation for integritj" 
and business enterprise and progressive- 
ness. 

^Tr. Puckett is interested, also, in other 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



239 



business undertakings, being one of the 
stockholders in the Commercial Bank of 
Shelbina and owning and managing con- 
siderable real estate in business i^roper- 
ties in the city and farm lands in Shelby 
and other counties. On June 28, 1888, he 
was married to Miss Ida M. Lyell, who 
was born and reared in Shelby county. 
Tliey have two children, their sons, 
Thomas Lyell, born in Shelbina, August 
27, 1891, and Charles E., born in Shelbina 
June 12, 1893, both of whom are still liv- 
ing at home with their parents. 

Mr. Puckett has long been one of the 
leading and most active promoters of the 
development and improvement of the 
town and county. In 1906 he was elected 
mayor of Shelbina, and for a year he gave 
the city an excellent business administra- 
tion of its affairs. But owing to the fail- 
ing condition of the health of one of his 
sons (Charles), he resigned in 1907 and 
took the young man to California for the 
winter. During that year, while out 
driving, he was thrown from his buggy 
and sustained a broken leg. The fracture 
did not yield readily to treatment and 
the limb had to be amputated on account 
of dangerous complications. But not- 
withstanding his crippled condition, he 
still takes an active part in his business 
and the affairs of the community. He is 
a Democrat in political faith and a 
Southern Methodist in church connec- 
tion and takes a leading place in the 
work of both his party and his church. 

HALLEY THOMAS WILLIS, M. D. 

To no other class of professional men 
is it given to administer so directly and 
completely to the comfort and happiness 



of mankind as to phj'sicians. They deal 
with all kinds of human ailments, both 
mental and physical, and are called upon 
to render services as wide in range as 
human suffering and human sorrow, and 
are often the only persons who can do it. 
To how many persons a country phy- 
sician in active practice supplies aid in 
distress, hope in gloom, comfort in ago- 
ny, solace in sorrow and even consolation 
in death, it would be idle to guess at. He 
is recjuired to have a strong combination 
of qualities for his work, of which his 
professional and technical requirements 
are but a small part, and the necessity 
for their activity is always at hand, the 
reservoir is always on draft. Among 
the physicians of northern Missouri Dr. 
H. T. Willis, of Shelbina, occupied high 
rank for the full possession of these qual- 
ifications and the skillful use of them. 

Dr. Willis was born in Monroe county, 
this state, on July 3, 1864. He came of 
Kentucky stock, both of his parents, 
Samuel Pierson and Elizabeth (Thomas) 
Willis, having been born and reared in 
that state. The father's life began in 
April, 1825, in Shelbyville, Kentucky, 
where his father, John Pierce Willis, was 
a manufacturer of wagons and carriages 
until 1851, when he and his family moved 
to Missouri, located in Monroe county 
and engaged extensively in farming and 
raising live stock. The grandfather 
died in 1874. The doctor's father farmed 
in his native county until the Western 
fever took possession of him and in 1851 
he too came td this state and located on 
a farm in Monroe county. He raised 
stock in considerable numbers on his 
farm and dealt extensively in mules, at 
that time a nearly new article of sale 



240 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



and production in this part of the state. 
In 1868 he sold his farm in Monroe 
county and bought one in this county, on 
which he lived and labored until 1885, 
when he moved to Shelbina, detennined 
to pass the remainder of his days in the 
enjoyment of the rest he had so well 
earned and the competence he had so 
laboriously acquired. He sold his farm 
and resided here until his death, October 
30, 1904. In 1852 he married Miss Eliza- 
beth Thomas, a native of Nelson county, 
Kentucky. They had two children. The 
father was a zealous and energetic Dem- 
ocrat in politics and a devout and loyal 
Baptist in religious affiliation. He gave 
a great deal of his time and energy to 
church work, in which his services were 
recognized as most effective and valu- 
able. The wife and mother died in July, 
1903. 

Dr. H. T. Willis obtained his scholastic 
training in the public schools of Shelbina 
and at the Shelbina Collegiate Institute, 
which latter he attended five years. His 
professional studies were pursued in pri- 
vate reading and at the University Med- 
ical College, of Kansas City, which he 
entered in 1895, and from which he was 
graduated with the degree of M. D. in 
1898. During his period of study at this 
institution he was first assistant to Dr. 
C. W. Adams, an eminent physician of 
the western Missouri metropolis, in his 
private practice, and the training he re- 
ceived through this experience was both 
extensive and thoroughly practical. 

After receiving his degree the doctor 
took up his residence in Shelbina and en- 
tered at once on the active practice of 
his profession. He made that city his 
home and was industriouslv engaged in 



a general practice which grew steadily in 
magnitude from year to year, as he had 
the esteem and confidence of the people 
and the regard of his professional col- 
leagues. He was a close and reflective 
student of the literature of his profes- 
sion, keeping abreast with its advance- 
ment and in touch with its latest thought 
and discovei'ies. He also took an active 
part in the societies organized for its 
improvement, being a valued and helpful 
contributor to the deliberations of the 
state and coimty medical associations, to 
both of which he belonged. He was also 
medical examiner for the Knights of the 
}i[accabees and International Life Insur- 
ance Company of St. Louis. In 1902 he 
was appointed county physician and he 
served as such until his death, February 
25, 1910. 

Politically the doctor was a firm and 
energetic Democrat. He was always in- 
terested in the welfare of his party and 
did effective work in helping it to success 
in all its contests. Fraternally he be- 
longed to the Masonic order. Knights of 
the Maccabees and the ^fodern Woodmen 
of America. His church connection was 
with the Baptist sect. On December 29, 
1904, he was united in marriage with 
Miss ^lamie J. Lamb, of Port Republic, 
Virginia. In the cultivated social circles 
of Shelbina she had ample scope for the 
exemplification of the mental force, deli- 
cacy of feeling and grace of manner she 
inherited from long lines of Virginia an- 
cestry and abundant opportunity to em- 
ploy her faculties in connection with 
those of her husband in promoting the 
general welfare of the community in 
which they both felt an earnest and con- 
tinuing interest. They were hospitable 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



241 



in their home, helpful to every mental 
and moral agency at work among the 
people and zealous in the performance 
of every social and religious duty. 



CHAELES BOGGS MARTIN. 

Actively connected with the real estate 
and loan business in Shelbiua for twenty 
consecutive years, and for six years prior 
to his entrance into that line one of the 
leading fire insurance agents of the city, 
county and surrounding country, Charles 
B. Martin has had an extensive oppor- 
tunity to demonstrate his capacity for 
business and his right to the confidence 
and esteem of the people who have the 
pleasure of his acquaintance and the ad- 
vantage of doing business with him. He 
is now the junior member of the firm of 
Puckett & Martin, real estate and loan 
operators, and as such enjoys in a high 
degree the regard and good will of the 
community. 

Mr. IMartin is a Virginian by nativity, 
having been born at Lexington, Rock- 
bridge county, in the Old Dominion, on 
March 28, 1853. His ancestors lived for 
generations in the state that is known as 
the "Mother of States and of States- 
men," his grandfather, James "Wesley 
Martin having been born and reared 
there, and having had before him a long 
line of progenitors born and reared in 
the same neighborhood, which was 
Greenbrier county, in that part of the 
state now known as West Virginia, which 
was torn from its maternal breast in the 
violence and unreason of the Civil war. 

Mr. Martin, the interesting subject of 
this brief review, is a son of James Wes- 
ley and Nannie O. (Green) Martin, the 



former born and reared in Greenbrier 
county, West Virginia, where his life be- 
gan in 1812, and tlie latter a native of 
Rockbridge county, in the mother state. 
The father farmed for a number of years 
in West Virginia and became a resident 
of Missouri in 1869, reaching the state in 
November of that year. He located in 
Marion county and there farmed and 
raised live stock until 1883, when he sold 
his interests in that county and moved to 
Shelby county, purchasing a farm there 
and continuing to operate it until his 
death, in September, 1886, carrying on 
at the same time an active and flourish- 
ing business in raising live stock, and 
thereby contributing to the improvement 
of the stock 4n the county and aiding in 
supplying, by the excellence of his prod- 
ucts, the best markets in the country. 

He was married to Miss Nannie 0. 
Green, of Rockbridge county, Virginia, 
who is still living at the advanced age of 
eighty-nine, with all her faculties yet 
vigorous and her sinews strong. They 
became the parents of twelve children, 
seven of whom are living — Alexander J., 
a resident of Rockbridge county, Vir- 
ginia; William P., who lives at Moberly, 
Missouri ; Reuben L., a citizen of Wash- 
ington, D. C. ; Charles B., whose interest- 
ing life story these paragraphs record; 
Samuel S. and Albert A., residents of 
this countj"; and Emmett, who lives in 
the state of California. Tn politics the 
father was a Democrat and in church re- 
lations a Southern Methodist. He was 
an active worker in both his party and 
his church and was esteemed by the mem- 
bers of each as a helpful factor in all 
their undertakings. 

Charles B. Martin, like the majority of 



242 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



the boys of his day, was reared and 
learned the lessons of preparation for 
life's battle on a farm. He took his place 
in the ranks of its workers and wrought 
as faitlifully and efficiently as any of 
them. He obtained his education in the 
private schools of Lexington, Virginia, 
which is an educational center in that 
part of the country, being the seat of 
Washington and Lee University, in 
whose presidential chair the great gen- 
eral of the Confederacy, Robert E. Lee, 
passed the closing years of his illustrious 
life, and also the Virginia Military in- 
stitute. But, although the city in which 
he gained his scholastic training was 
abundantly supplied with facilities for 
culture far beyond the curriculum of the 
public schools, they were availalile to 
him only in a limited way, and he was 
obliged to put up with what the great 
"university of the common people," the 
district schools, could do for him in the 
way of mental development. For the 
exigencies of his situation required that 
he should make his own way in the world 
of effort from an early age and he en- 
tered upon the undertaking without re- 
luctance or repining. 

After leaving school Mr. Martin 
worked on the parental farm with his 
father until 1873, assisting him both in 
the state of his nativity and that of his 
adoption. In the year last named he 
turned his attention to mercantile life, 
for wliicli he had long felt a yearning, 
and became a grocer, carrying on a vig- 
orous and flourishing business in that 
line for six years. Still, although he 
found mercantile life agreeable, the love 
of the soil was strong within him, and in 
1880 he returned to the culitvation of it, 



buying a farm near Oakdale, in this 
county, on which he lived and labored 
two busy years, producing good crops 
and raising fine herds of stock. In 1882 
he moved to Shelbina and took up work 
for the Phoenix Fire Insurance Company 
in association with W. F. Fields, with 
whom he ojierated for six years. Then in 
1889 he bought the interest of Upton 
Moreman in the firm of Lyell & More- 
man, real estate and loan agents, and be- 
came a partner of John R. Lyell, under 
the name and style of Lyell & Martin. 
In May, 1894, Thomas L. Puckett, a 
sketch of whom will be found in this vol- 
ume, bought Mr. Lyell 's interest in the 
business and the firm has done an exten- 
sive business ever since under the name 
of Puckett & Martin. 

Mr. Martin has therefore been con- 
nected in a leading way with the real es- 
tate and loan business for twenty consec- 
utive years, and in that long experience 
has thoroughly mastered all its phases, 
details and requirements. During much 
of the time he has also been extensively 
engaged in the feeding and sale of 150 to 
200 mules every year, therefiy contribut- 
ing greatly to the convenience and ad- 
vantage of the farmers and other resi- 
dents of the city and county. 

In the political life of his section he 
has taken an earnest and serviceable part 
as a leading and influential Democrat. 
Although averse to public office, he filled 
one term of four years as a justice of the 
peace and has also been a member of the 
school board. Fraternally he is a Free- 
mason and to the cause of religion he 
renders effective .service as a member of 
tlie Methodist Ei)iscopal Church, South, 
of which he is a trustee and was for five 




REV. J. H. WOOD 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



243 



years or longer superiutendent of the 
Sunday school. In other departments of 
church work he has been constant in his 
service and enterprising- in his spirit, 
giving every worthy undertaking of his 
congregation his valuable counsel and in- 
valuable assistance in practical labor. 
During all of the last fifteen years he has 
l)een one of the stockholders and direc- 
tors of the Commercial Bank of Shelbina. 
On March 2, 1873, he was married to 
Miss Nannie E. Jones, of Marion county, 
in this state. They have had five chil- 
dren and all of them are living. They 
are : May J., a resident of Shelbina ; Jes- 
sie, the wife of Otis See, of the same city ; 
and Eugene H., of St. Louis, Missouri; 
Charles Robert and John Lyell, who are 
living at home. Mr. and Mrs. Martin 
and their children add adornment and 
grace to the social circles of the com- 
munity and on all sides are recognized as 
among the best and most representative 
and estimable citizens of a section in 
which the standard is high and the re- 
quirements are exacting. 

JOHN H. WOOD. 

This eminent banker and influential 
financial potency of Shelbina has been a 
I'esident of Missouri all of his life, and 
during the most of that period has been 
active in lines of endeavor which min- 
ister directly to the welfare of the people 
and help to build up the state in its in 
d u s t r i a 1 , mercantile and commercial 
]iower, some of them also bearing imme- 
diately and favora])ly on the mental and 
mora] agencies at work in every com- 
munity. 

^Ir. Wood controls the i)olicy of the 



Shelbina National Bank and is its lead- 
ing spirit of enterprise and direction. 
He was born in Monroe county, this 
state, on December 8, 1869. He is a son 
of Winfield S. and Susan A. (Hepler) 
Wood, the former a native of New York 
and the latter of Ohio. The father was 
a carpenter and farmer. He came to 
Monroe county in 1859 and from that 
time until a few years ago devoted his 
energies to farming, doing some work 
also at his trade when occasion demand- 
ed it. During the Civil war he served 
as a soldier in the Ninth Missouri Cav- 
alry, Company F, of which he was one 
of the lieutenants. He and his command 
were stationed most of the time in Mis- 
souri, but they saw a great deal of active 
service and were engaged in numerous 
battles and skirmishes. Mr. W^ood was 
in the army from 1861 to the close of the 
memorable struggle in 1865, and during 
all of the time of his military service 
devoted himself wholly to the cause 
which he had espoused. After the close 
of the war he returned to his home and 
resumed his farming operations. A few 
years ago he retired from active pursuits 
and took up his residence in Shelbina, 
where he now lives. His wife died in 
that town. They had two sons and two 
daughters, all of whom are living. The 
father is a scion of an old English fam- 
ily, his branch of which has lived in this 
country for several generations. 

J. H. Wood was reared and began his 
education in Monroe county. He also 
attended the University of Missouri, 
from which he was graduated in 1895 
with the degree of L. B. He was pastor 
of the Christian church at Boonville, 
Cooper county, two years, and taught in 



244 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Christian College at Columbia, Missouri, 
during his pastorate. In 1897 he moved 
to Shelbina and became pastor of the 
Christian church, which position he still 
fills. Was associated with Messrs. 
Thomas & Gillespie in the abstract busi- 
ness for three years, the firm being 
known as "Wood, Thomas & Gillespie. 
In 1907 he became interested in the bank, 
to which his time has since been largely 
devoted. He is also president of the 
Shelbina Telephone Company, which he 
founded and incorporated in the autumn 
of 1908. In politics he is a Republican, 
but he has never been an active partisan 
or filled or desired a public office. His 
fraternal allegiance is given to the In- 
dependent Order of Odd Fellows and 
the Masonic Order, in the hitter of which 
he has risen to the degree of the Royal 
Arch. During the whole of his residence 
in Shelbina he has served as pastor of 
the Christian church, doing a great work 
for the congregation and building it up 
from a membershiji of 100 to one of 250. 
He is now engaged in the erection of a 
new church edifice which will be com- 
pleted at an early date. He is much es- 
teemed in church circles as well as in 
business relations, and illustrates in 
every walk in life the best attributes of 
an elevated, progressive and high- 
minded American citizenship. 

In June, 1898, he was united in mai-- 
riage with Miss Susan A. Jones, a sister 
of "W. H. Jones, who was cashier of the 
bank of which he is president. They 
have no children, but take a warm and 
helpful interest in the education and well 
being of all the children in the com- 
munity, being leaders and acti\'e woj-k- 
ers in every good undertaking for the 



welfare of the people and the promotion 
of every interest in which that is in- 
volved. Among the residents of Shel- 
bina they are accounted as worthy of the 
highest regard and looked up to as ex- 
amples of correct and upright living, 
which all might imitate with advantage 
to themselves and great benefit to the 
community. 

Mr. Wood is a member of the board of 
regents of the Kirksville State Normal 
School, being chairman of the board, and 
is also a member of the board of trus- 
tees of Missouri Bible College at Colum- 
bia, Missouri. 

GEORGE ROFF. 

This estimable citizen of Shelbina, who 
is passing the closing years of his life in 
rest and quiet after a long struggle for 
advancement in a worldly way, in which 
he almost at times dared Fate herself into 
the lists and felt prepared to meet it on 
nearly equal terms, presents to the con- 
templation of the biographer a subject 
of unusual interest. He came of a family 
of roving and adventurous disposition, 
and although he showed his heritage in 
this respect in one particular he did not 
in others, for which his ancestors were 
distinguished. So far as daring danger, 
enduring hardship and undergoing 
arduous toil and privation are concerned, 
he has upheld the family traditions in a 
manly and admirable way. But he has 
never roamed far from the place of his 
nativity to seek a residence, but has 
helped to the limit of his ability and op- 
]iortunities to develop the section and in- 
terests amid which he was born and 
reared. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



245 



Mr. Eoff was born, reared, educated 
and married in Shelby county, and, as an 
industrious and skillful tiller of the soil, 
has contributed practically and essen- 
tially to its development and improve- 
ment. So that whatever he is, he is all 
the county's own. His life began on 
June 12, 1841, and for a full half century 
be was one of the producing forces of the 
county except during a short portion of 
the Civil war, when he was engaged in 
the defense of his political principles as 
a member of the Confederate army. His 
service in that memorable and san- 
guinary contest lasted only about six 
months, for at the end of that period he 
was taken prisoner and soon after pa- 
roled on condition that he would return 
to the plains of the West and engage no 
further in the war. He is the grandson 
of Jonathan Eoff, a native of New Jer- 
sey, and a son of Peter and Sarah (An- 
derson) RotT, the former born and 
reared in Mason county, Kentucky, where 
he made his advent into the world in 
1800, and the latter a native of Virginia. 

The father grew to manhood on his 
father's farm, assisting in its labors and 
attending the district school when his 
services were not needed at home. In 
1832, while what is now the great and 
progressive state of Missouri was still a 
howling wilderness for the greatest part, 
he came west and located amid its un- 
broken wilds in this county. He took up 
a tract of wild land and devoted himself to 
its transformation into a cultivated and 
productive farm. He also raised stock in 
considerable numbers and thus helped 
materially to provide for the wants of 
the pioneers and build up the country 
around him. His farming and stock- 



raising operations continued until his 
death in 1866. He and his wife, whose 
maiden name was Sarah Anderson, be- 
came the parents of six children, of whom 
three are living. They are Carolina, the 
wife of Daniel Givens, of Shelbina; 
(xeorge, who is the inspiration of this 
sketch, and Thomas, also a resident of 
Shelbina. In political faith and adher- 
ence the father was an ardent Democrat. 
In fraternal relations he was a member 
of the Masonic order, and in religion be- 
longed to the Christian church. 

George Roff was reared on his father's 
farm in this county, and early in life 
began to learn the lessons of endurance, 
privation and self-reliance incident to 
residence and struggle with adversity 
and difficulty on the frontier. His only 
facilities for scholastic training were 
those supplied by the primitive schools 
of the wilderness at that early day, and 
when he had completed the course they 
covered, he at once went to work on the 
farm, again assisting his father until he 
started an enterprise in cultivating the 
soil and raising stock on his own account. 
This he continued until his retirement 
from all active pursuits in 1903, when he 
moved to Shelbina, and there he has ever 
since resided. He sold his farm and thus 
relieved his mind of all care concerning 
its management, and the only business he 
has given attention to since has been 
looking after his financial interests in 
connection with several business enter- 
prises, among them the Shelbina National 
Bank, of which he is one of the stock- 
holders and directors. As has been noted 
above, he was in the Confederate army 
six months at the beginning of the Civil 
war, but after being taken prisoner and 



246 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUjYTY 



paroled to the plains of the West, he felt 
obliged to abide by the terms of his re- 
lease and never entered the service of 
the Confederacy again. 

Mr. Rolf has been married twice. His 
first wife was Miss Julia Connolly, of 
Kentucky. They had one child, who died 
a number of years ago, as did the mother. 
On February 12, 1896, he was united with 
his second wife, who, before her mai'- 
riage, was Miss Jennie Hinthorn, a na- 
tive of McLean county, Illinois. He and 
his wife are highly respected and counted 
as among the best and most estimable 
citizens of the county. They are well and 
widely known and everywhere among 
their friends and acquaintances their 
lives are regarded as worthy of the good 
will of the people liecause of their up- 
rightness and usefulness. Both have 
been active in all commendable projects 
for the good of the county and town, 
manifesting an earnest interest in their 
improvement and the lasting welfare of 
their inhabitants. Mr. Eoft" is a staunch 
Democrat in politics and he and his wife 
are members of the Christian chui-ch in 
religious faith and association. 

JESSE T. HARDY. 

This eminent jurist and esteemed citi- 
zen of Shelby coimty is an ornament to 
her public life, and his occupancy of the 
bench is a guaranty that the rights and 
interests of her people will be sedulously 
watched and guarded against wrong, so 
far as it is in the power of an upright 
and enlightened court to furnish such 
protection, her peace, oi'der and good 
government will be presei'ved, and the 
laws of the state will be strictly and 



properly enforced within her boundaries. 

Judge Hardy is a native of the county, 
l)orn on May 1, 1848. He was reared on 
its soil, educated in its public schools, for 
years engaged in tilling its fertile farm 
lands, and has been prominent in its pro- 
fessional and official circles. He is there- 
fore closely connected with its people 
and has a personal as well as an official 
interest in their welfare. He is now serv- 
ing his third term as county judge, and 
is more firmly intrenched in the con- 
fidence and esteem of the people than 
when his official life began. For his 
course on the bench has been eminently 
satisfactory to them and in the highest 
degree creditable to himself. 

The Judge is a son of Samuel B. and 
Mary J. (Sparrow) Hardy, natives of 
Virginia and members of families that 
have dignified and adorned all walks of 
life in the history of that state. The 
father, impelled by a spirit of daring 
and self-reliance, and wishing to found a 
name for himself and his descendants on 
his own achievements, sought his ojjpor- 
tunity in what was in his yoimg man- 
hood an unbroken wilderness. He came 
to Missouri in 18.34 and took up a tract 
of wild land in what is now Shelby 
county and about eight miles northeast 
of the present city of Shelbina. He also 
opened a country store, and during the 
next few years was actively engaged in 
reducing his farm to subjection and pro- 
ductiveness and supplying the wants of 
the people around him from his mercan- 
tile establishment. When the railroad 
was partially completed he moved to 
Shelbina and built the Adams hotel, 
which he occupied and conducted for 
four or five years. He then returned to 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



247 



liis farm to pass the remainder of his 
days on the expanse he had redeemed 
from the wilds and die at hist in the 
home whicli was hallowed as the product 
and the scene of his useful toil. 

He was always deeply and intelligently 
interested in public atfairs and freely 
gave time, attention and material help to 
direct their course aright according to 
his views. He served two terms as county 
judge in the early history of the county, 
and when the Civil war burst upon our 
unhappy country, fearful of the dismem- 
berment of the Union, he enlisted in the 
Federal army in its defense. His com- 
m;ind was a part of the army of General 
Glover, and was stationed at Palmyra. 
While it saw comparatively little active 
service, it was at all times ready for duty 
and willing to dare death on the field of 
carnage. In the engagements in which it 
took part it made its military sjiirit and 
capacity manifest and admirably exem- 
plified the highest type of American man- 
hood. The elder Judge Hardy was mar- 
ried in Virginia to Miss Mary J. Spar- 
row, who was, like himself, a native of 
Virginia, as has been stated. They had 
eight children, of whom the jjresent Judge 
is the only one living. The father was a 
Republican in politics, a Freemason in 
fraternal life and a Southern Methodist 
in religion. 

Judge Jesse T. Hardy obtained his 
education in the jmblic schools of Shel- 
bina, and on leaving them turned his 
attention to farming and raising live 
stock, and also to contracting in works of 
construction. After a successful career 
of over a quarter of a century as a, 
farmer and contractor he sold his farm, 
gave U]j his other business and moved to 



Shelbina, making himself free to dis- 
charge his important and responsible 
duties as county judge, having been 
elected to the position in 1904. At the 
end of liis first term he was re-elected, 
and at the close of the second received 
renewed and increased assurances of the 
confidence and esteem of the people by a 
very complimentary and enthusiastic 
election to a third term. 

An analysis of his administration of 
the office of judge is not intended or 
necessary here. His official record so far 
has passed into the history of the county 
and been twice passed upon by the elec- 
torate with high approval, and this gives 
it higher standing and a firmer founda- 
tion in county and state chronicles than 
anything would that might be embodied 
in these paragraphs. It is enough for 
them to state that his services have been 
thoroughly satisfactory to the people of 
the county and have given him a high 
rank among the jurists of the state. 

In political allegiance and activity 
Judge Hardy has always been a Demo- 
crat, and in frateimal affiliation he has 
long been an Odd Fellow. While free 
from offensive partisanship and undue 
liolitical activity since he has been on the 
bench, he has nevertheless shown a keen 
interest in the welfare and success of his 
party on all occasions, as every good citi- 
zen should, and to the fraternal society 
in which he holds membership he has 
also given a commendable share of time 
and attention. He was married on Feb- 
ruary 22, 1868, to Miss Mary Elizabeth 
Maddox, of this county. They have had 
ten children, six of whom are living: 
Samuel Tolbert, of Shelby county; Dora 
Belle, wife of AVilliam Howell; John E. ; 



248 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Jessie, wife of Perry Parsons, and 
Chester and Lee, all residents of Shelby 
county and prominent and useful in pro- 
moting its development and improve- 
ment. 

AVILLIAM T. SWEARINGEN. 

Born in Monroe county on July 24, 
1849, at a time when this portion of the 
state was almost virgin in its wilderness 
and unsettled condition, and growing to 
manhood here, taking part in all the stir- 
ring activities incident to peopling and 
developmg a new country, AVilliam T. 
Swearingen, of Shelbina, has had fine 
opportunities for being useful to his lo- 
cality and writing his name in endur- 
ing phrase among the monuments and 
products of its progress. That he has 
employed his opportunities to good ad- 
vantage is proven by the numerous and 
imposing structures for residence and 
business i^uii^oses which he has erected 
in the county and city of his long home 
and by the universal esteem in which he 
is held by all classes of the people. 

Mr. Swearingen is a son of Thomas 
and Polly (Ashcraft) Swearingen, the 
father a native of Kentucky, born in 
1815, and the mother born and reared 
in Missouri. Thomas Swearingen came 
to Missouri early in the thirties and lo- 
cated in Monroe county. There, for a 
number of years, he was actively en- 
gaged in farming and raising live stock, 
giving Ills whole attention to his opera- 
tions and making them as profitable as 
the circumstances would allow. In the 
course of time he became enamored of 
Shelby county, and, selling out his in- 
terests in Monroe, he moved to this 
county on a farm which he purchased. 



and on which one of the old landmarks 
of the section was located in the fonn 
of a flour and saw mill on Salt river. He 
worked, the farm and operated the mill 
greatly to the convenience and advantage 
of the iDeople within a large extent of 
the surrounding country and his own 
pi'ofit for many years, when he sold all 
his real estate and farming appliances, 
and retired from active life to a home 
in Walkersviile, in which he died in 
1893. 

In politics the father was a Democrat, 
firm in his devotion and zealous in his 
services to his party, and in religious 
connection was affiliated with the !Meth- 
odist Episcopal church. South, to which 
he also gave the benefit of his wisdom in 
council and his fidelity and industry in 
work. lie was married twice, the first 
time to Miss Polly Ashcraft. Of the nine 
children born to them five are living and 
all but one are residents of Shelby 
county. They are: James, Sallie, the 
wife of John "Wood; William T. and 
^lalcomb, of this county, and Ephraim, 
who is a citizen of j\Ionroe county. The 
second marriage of the head of the house 
occurred in 1868, and by it he was united 
with Miss Ellen "Wood, of Shelby county. 
They became the parents of two children, 
Milton, who lives in St. Joseph, this 
state, and Ora, the wife of William Dun- 
gan, of Shelby county. 

William T. Swearingen grew to man- 
hood on the parental homestead in this 
county and obtained his education in 
its jmlilic schools. After leaving school 
he continued to work on his father's 
farm until 1869, doing also consid- 
erable work as a builder and con- 
tractor, having acquired a mastery of 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



249 



the carpentei' trade, for which he liad a 
natural aptitude. He put up many of 
the best dwellings and other buildings in 
the neighborhood, and they still stand 
out a m o n g the improvements in the 
county as evidences of his skill and 
abilit)' as a builder. Since taking up his 
residence in Shelbina, which ho did in 
1904, he has devoted himself exclusively 
to contracting and building on a large 
scale and with great success in results, 
both in the products of his art and the 
profits reaped from them. He has worked 
at his trade practically for forty-one 
years, and has won a reputation for mas- 
tery of it that is second to none in this 
portion of the state and that places him 
in the first rank among mechanics where- 
ever he is known. 

In all parts of Shelbina, and in many 
other localities, stand structures built 
by him which are admirably adapted to 
the purposes for which they were erected, 
and which potentially proclaim his merit 
as a builder. For he has been a student 
of his craft and has enlarged and trained 
his natural ability in it by keeping him- 
self posted in its latest phases and higher 
developments, acquiring some skill as an 
architect along with fine mechanical ex- 
ecution, and placing all his attainments 
liberally at the service of his patrons 
and his employes, thus enriching the 
property of the one class and the acquisi- 
tions of the other. 

On July 21, 1870, he united in mar- 
riage with Miss Isabelle Wood, of Shel- 
bina. Of the five children who have 
blessed and brightened their home four 
are living and all dwelling in Shelbina. 
They are George, Claudia, wife of Harry 
Keith, and Mabelle and Freda, both of 



whom are still members of the parental 
household. It is much to have lived 
sixty years among the same people and 
to have grown steadily in their respect 
and esteem, but this is Avhat Mr. Swear- 
ingen has accomplished. For his life has 
been clean and useful, constant in its 
fidelity to duty in all private and public 
relations, and ennobling in the high ex- 
ample of worthy citizenship it has given 
those associated with and living around 
him. It is of men like him that the best 
American manhood is made, and it is 
from such lives as his that our most 
stable and valued standards are taken. 

GEORGE C. GRANT. 

Although for nearly twelve years a 
member of the bar, and during a portion 
of that period an active practitioner of 
the profession, George C. Grant, of Shel- 
bina, has found mercantile life of the 
most strenuous and exacting character 
more to his taste than professional pur- 
suits, and during- the last seven years 
has devoted himself principally to that 
as an extensive dealer in real estate and 
was the junior member of the firm of 
Cleek & Grant, but is now doing business 
under the style name of George C. Grant, 
Real Estate Dealer, Shelbina, Missouri. 
He has been very successful in his un- 
dertakings and is accounted one of the 
best and wisest business men in Shelby 
county. 

Mr. Grant was born on November 4, 
1875, in the adjacent county of Monroe 
and village of Granville, where his par- 
ents, William and Mary A. (Moulton) 
(Jrant, then lived. The father was born 
and grew to the age of fourteen in Eng- 



250 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUIS^TY 



land. His life began in 1831, and was 
like that of most English boys of his sta- 
tion until 1845. He attended school and 
engaged in the pastimes of the day, as 
his companions did, but in the year last 
named he had an experience •which was 
denied to most of them and was probably 
desired by all. He was brought by his 
parents to the American continent, his 
young life being enriched by the ex- 
periences of an ocean voyage across the 
stormy Atlantic and the novel incidents, 
adventures and surroundings of exist- 
ence in a new world. The family located in 
Canada andWilliam remained there until 
1871, marrying Miss Mary A. Moulton, 
of that country, in 1861, who now resides 
at Clarence, Missouri, and taking his 
part in the productive industries of the 
land as an active and energetic farmer. 
In 1871 he came to the United States 
and took up his residence at Grranville, 
in Monroe county, of this state. There 
he again gave his attention to farming 
and raising live stock on a large scale, 
and in addition carried on a flourishing 
Inisiness as a merchant in shoes and 
boots. Some years later he sold his in- 
terests in Monroe county and moved over 
into Shelby county, making his home in 
Shelbina. Here he again engaged in 
mercantile life, in the shoe trade, for 
some years. He then sold his business 
and turned his attention to insurance, 
which occupied him uutil his death in 
February, 1894. Eight children were 
born in his household and all of them 
save one are living and adding to the 
wealth and greatness of the country in 
various localities and occupations. Tliey 
are: Charles E., who lives in Butte, 
Montana; Elizabeth E., the wife of Up- 



ton Moreman, of Lake Howell, Florida; 
William H., of La Belle, Missouri; Al- 
bert L., of Baker City. Oregon; Alicia, 
the wife of Hon. H. J. Simmons, of Clar- 
ence, this county; George C, the subject 
of this memoir; and the only one of this 
large family now remaining at Shelbina, 
Missouri; and Edward B. who died in 
St. Louis, Missouri, July 30, 1910, after 
an o]ieration for appendicitis, having 
gone there from his home in Clarence, 
Missouri, where he was engaged in the 
newspaper business and under the name 
of Simmons & Grant, published the 
"Clarence Courier." Agnes B., also 
resident of Clarence. The father was a 
Democrat in the politics of this country, 
a Freemason in its fraternal life and a 
member of the Southern Methodist 
church in religion. He was very zeal- 
ous in the work of his church, teaching 
the Bible class in its Sunday school for 
a number of years. 

George C. Grant became a resident of 
Shelbina when he was but a child and 
has passed all his subsequent years in the 
city. He obtained his education in its 
public schools, graduating with credit 
from the high school, then pursued a 
course of special business training at the 
Shelbina Commercial College. As a pre- 
paration for what he looked forward to 
as his life work he studied law under the 
direction of E. A. Cleek, Esq., then state 's 
attorney, and was admitted to the bar in 
1898. During the next few years he 
practiced his profession at Clarence, and 
then for several years in Shelbina. In 
1902 he formed a partnership with Mr. 
Cleek, under the name of Cleek & Grant, 
for the imrpose of engaging in the real 
estate business, but this partnership 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



251 



was dissolved in the year 1910, and since 
then he has been engaged individually in 
that line of mercantile eft'ort. He is now 
a leading real estate dealer in this part of 
the state and does a very extensive busi- 
ness. He owns considerable real estate 
in farm lands and city property, and 
handles enormous extents of it in supply- 
ing an active demand in a busy and en- 
grossing market. He also owns two 
very fine highly improved farms of 440 
acres in Monroe county, Missouri, where 
Marion and Shelbj' coimties corner with 
the north line of Monroe county, a short 
distance south and east of Hunnewell, 
which are said by many to be two of the 
best farms in the three counties. Mr. 
Grant is lilso connected with some of the 
leading financial and industrial institu- 
tions of the city and county, among them 
the Old Bank of Shelbina, in which he is 
one of the stockholders. He has been 
very successful in all his projects, show- 
ing fine business capacity with great in- 
dustry in conducting his affairs, and at 
the same time the utmost fairness and 
consideration toward others in all his 
dealings. He is an excellent judge of 
real estate, both as to its character and 
its value, and kee])s in touch with all that 
is likely to be available for his purposes ; 
so that he is prepared at all times to 
secure for any purchaser just what the 
buyer needs. 

On May 7, 1901, Mr. Grant was united 
in marriage with Miss L. Virginia Swear- 
ingen, of Shelby county. They have two 
children, their son, Malcolm E., and their 
daughter, Alicia M., both of whom still 
help to warm and brighten the family 
hearthstone, being yet children of ten- 
der ages. The father believes firmly in 



tlie principles of the Democratic party 
and lends it his active and effective aid 
in all its campaigns, although he is not 
desirous of any of the honors or emolu- 
ments of official station for himself. Fra- 
ternally he is a Knight of Pythias and a 
Modern Woodman of America, and in re- 
ligious affairs is affiliated with the •South- 
ern Methodist church. Although he is 
yet a young man he has won high rank 
in business circles and has a firm hold on 
the regard and good will of the people 
as an upright, progressive and altogether 
useful and estimable citizen. 

SILAS THRELKELD. 

Born on May 19, 1833, in Henry 
county, Kentucky, reared and educated 
in Boone count}% Indiana, where he 
worked for years at his trade as a car- 
penter, and during the last fifty years a 
resident of Alissouri, Silas Threlkeld has 
been a part of the human history of 
three great states in the American Union 
and a valued contributor to the produc- 
tive industries of two of them. He is 
now not far from four score years of 
age, and the retrospect of his long and 
useful life must bring before his mental 
vision many scenes of the highest dra- 
matic interest, many incidents of heroic 
struggle and endurance, many startling 
clumges in American life, conditions and 
aspirations, all of which he has witnessed 
and been a part of. And through the 
whole war]! and woof of the extended 
period his friends can see his own record 
running like a veritable thread of gold, 
bright in the luster of its excellence, val- 
uable in the strength it adds to the fabric 
and suggestive in its unyielding texture 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



against tlie wear and tear of every day 
life. 

Mr. Tlirelkekl is descended from old 
' Virginia families, whose history in the 
Old Dominion runs back to colonial times 
and adorns every walk of life among its 
people. His grandfather, Daniel Threl- 
keld, was a native of tliat state, and, 
with the adventurous spirit that charac- 
terized liis family and the society in 
which he was reared, left the home of his 
fathers in his early manhood to win a 
name and an estate for himself amid the 
wilds of Kentucky at the time when Dan- 
iel Boone was fixing forever the fame of 
that then remote and unsettled region in 
the pages of romantic history. There the 
parents of him who is now one of the 
patriarchs of Shelbina, Arway and Jemi- 
ma (Wilson) Threlkeld, were born and 
reared, the father's life beginning in 
1810, and the mother's in Owen county 
about in 1806. Following the example 
of their parents, they also became emi- 
grants, moving first to Boone county, In- 
diana, and in 1866 to Monroe county, 
Missouri. Here the father of Silas 
bought a farm on Water creek, which he 
improved and cultivated until advancing 
years and failing strength obliged him 
to retire from all active pursuits. He 
then sold his farm and from that time 
until his death in Shelbina, in 1898, made 
his home with his children. He and his 
wife were the parents of five children, 
and of these but four are living: The 
subject of this writing, who is passing 
the evening of his long and stirring day 
of life in Shelbina ; William and Thomas, 
venerable residents of Monroe county; 
and Mary Nancy, the wife of F. D. Crow, 
of Moberly in Randolph county. The 



father was a life-long Democrat in pol- 
itics and for many years a devout and 
zealous member of the Baptist church. 
He died at the age of about 83 years, 
and his remains were followed to the 
grave with every demonstration of pop- 
ular esteem and affection. 

Silas Threlkeld obtained his scholastic 
training in the district schools of Boone 
coimty, Indiana. xVfter leaving school he 
learned the carpenter ti-ade and worked 
at it in Indiana until 1859, when he 
brought his strength and aspirations as 
a man and his skill as a mechanic to 
Shelbina. His mechanical acquirements 
were badly needed in the village at the 
time and for some years he found em- 
ployment at his trade that was both plen- 
tifiil and profitable. But he had a natu- 
ral inclination to farm life, and yielding 
to this, lie bought his first farm near 
Paris, ]\Iouroe county; then sold it and 
bought another, also in Monroe county 
but not far from Shelbina, renting in ad- 
dition 400 acres of land which he farmed 
for four years. At the end of that period 
he found himself able to purchase a much 
desired farm in tliis county and he made 
the purchase. 

During the next twelve years he occu- 
pied and cultivated this farm with en- 
ergy and success, adding gi-eatly to its 
value by l)ringiug it to a high state of 
])roductiveness and by extensively' im- 
proving it in buildings and equipment. 
The milling industry was then in great 
need of recruits and offered many oppor- 
tunities to men of enterprise and sagac- 
ity. He therefore sold liis farm and 
moved to Shelbina, entering into a part- 
nership with his brother-in-law, F. D. 
Crow, with whom he was associated in 



r 




4 



^PH 



.«5, 




* 



JAMES 0. STRIBLING 



IIISTOltY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



253 



extensive milling opei'ations for a period 
of twenty years. Farm life, however, 
still beckoned him with persuasive hand, 
and he traded his interest in the mill for 
another farm on which he took up his 
residence, and to which he gave his at- 
tention for a number of years and then 
sold it. In 1899 he gave up business of 
all kinds and again located in Shelbina, 
to pass the remainder of his days in 
peace after so many contests, in com- 
fortable rest and leisure after such ar- 
duous and long continued effort. 

Through life Mr. Threlkeld has fol- 
lowed the fortunes of the Democratic 
party through victory and defeat, always 
contributing effective aid in its cam- 
paigns and cordially supporting its can- 
didates. He is a charter member of the 
Odd Fellows -lodge in Shanaldah, Indi- 
ana, and has given it the benefit of his 
helpful membership ever since its organ- 
ization. He is a stockholder and one of 
the directors of the Old Bank of Shel- 
bina and takes an active interest in its 
business. Twice has be bowed beneath 
the flowery yoke of Eros, the first time 
being joined in marriage with Miss Mil- 
dred Acuff, of Monroe county, in 1863. 
Four children were born of this mar- 
riage, all of whom are living and resi- 
dents of Shelby county. They are : Net- 
tie, wife of W. S. Bryan; Henry; Jennie, 
the wife of William Lawrence; all living 
in Shelbina ; and Cornelia, the wife of 
James Miller, who has her home in an- 
other part of the county. The father's 
second marriage took place in 1884, 
when he was united with Miss Cornelia 
Acuff, of Monroe county. They have 
two children, their sons Roy, who lives 
at home, and Harold, who married Lotus 



Smock August 11, 1908, and is conduct- 
ing a grocery store in Shelbina. 

While Mr. Threlkeld is now but a rest- 
ful sojourner on the shady wayside of 
the world 's strenuous activities, and only 
looks upon the passing pageant of its 
busy and productive life, he still feels a 
keen and abiding interest in all the 
phases of men's work and especially in 
the welfare of the community around 
him. He is no longer one of its militant 
forces, but by no means ignores or grows 
indifferent to its interests. Eevered as 
a patriarch and looked up to as a sage, 
his counsel is still earnesth^ sought and 
his admonitions are heeded, so that his 
influence is felt in the county among 
whose people he is everywhere most 
highly esteemed as one of their worthiest 
citizens and most upright and sterling 
men. 

JAMES 0. STRIBLING. 

The life story of this prominent citi- 
zen of Clarence, in this county, is one of 
adventure and thrilling incident in parts 
and of great energy, determination and 
good business management in all. He 
has been a soldier and faced death on 
many a bloody battlefield. He was a 
]>risoner of war for several months, lan- 
guishing in Federal military prisons. 
He has also been a farmer of prominence 
and successful operations, and a timber 
contractor for one of the leading rail- 
road lines in this part of the country. 
He has met every requirement of his 
busy and varied life in a manly and mas- 
terly way and every week of his time 
and every faculty of his being minister 
to his substantial and continued advance- 
ment. 



254 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



]\Ir. Stribling was born in Monroe 
county, Missouri, on October 8, 18-iO, and 
is a son of Taliaferro and Jane C. 
(Boggs) Stribling, the fonuer a native 
of Kentucky and the latter of Pennsyl- 
vania. Their marriage took place in 
Missouri and by it they became the par- 
ents of three children, all of whom are 
living. They are : Loui^ine, the wife of 
A. Damrell, of Shelbyville; James 0:. 
the subject of this memoir; and Loretta, 
the wife of AV. G. Sanders, also a resi- 
dent of Shelbyxdlle. 

The father came to Missouri in an 
early day and for a number of years 
worked at the salt works on Salt river 
in Ralls county. He then turned his at- 
tention to farming and raising live stock 
and adhered to these pursuits contin- 
uously until his death in 1844. He was 
a man of enterprise and progressive- 
ness, wai-mly interested in the progi'ess 
and development of the region in which 
he lived, and gave earnest and very help- 
ful attention to the welfare of the people 
all around him. By his course in this 
respect he rose to prominence and in- 
fluence and won the high esteem of the 
whole jiopulation. 

James O. Stribling, like most of the 
boys and youth of this locality of his 
time, obtained his education in the pub- 
lic schools, attending them in Florida, 
Missouri. At the beginning of the 
Civil war he enlisted in the Confederate 
army under Col. Theodore Brace, and 
entered actively into the designs of the 
government, which he had volunteered 
to help and defend. He carried the first 
dispatch, after going into a regular 
cam]), from General Harris, then holding 
his command in Ralls county, to Colonel 



Green, whose camp was in Scotland 
county. He took part in the battles of 
Monroe City, Lexington and Sugar 
Creek, Missouri, Pea Ridge, Arkansas, 
and manj- skirmishes. The service was 
hazardous and he was daring. This re- 
sulted in his capture after seven months 
in the field, and during the next two or 
three months he was confined in Federal 
military prisons at Clinton, Sedalia and 
St. Louis, Missouri. After he was mus- 
tered out of the service he was again 
taken prisoner while on his way home 
and again kept in confinement for some 
time. 

After his release he returned to his 
former home in Monroe county, this 
state, but only remained a short time. 
In 1865 he went to work for the Hanni- 
bal & St. Joseph Railroad Company and 
took up his residence at Lakenau, in this 
coimty. He quit the railroad service in 
1869 and turned his attention to farming 
and raising live stock near Lakehan, 
conducting his operations with great en- 
terprise and vigor and under very flour- 
ishing conditions. While thus engaged 
he drove the first self-binding harvester 
ever used in Shelby county, and for a 
period of twenty years was one of the 
leading farmers and stock men in this 
part of the state. 

Tn 1889 ]\rr. Stribling sold his farming 
interests and moved to Clarence, where 
he has made his home ever since. Im- 
mediately after locating in Clarence he 
bought an interest in what was then 
known as the Clarence Roller Mill, and 
with this industrial institution he was 
connected for ten years. At the end of 
that period he sold his interest in it. 
During the last fifteen years he has been 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



255 



actively engaged in furnishing timber 
for the Chicago, Burlington & Quinc}' 
railroad, and during this period has 
made a number of short stays at Tex- 
arkana, Texas, in the vicinity of which 
he has about 8,000 acres of good timber 
land. The greater part of the timber 
now supplied for the use of the Chicago, 
Burlington & Quincy line is procured 
along its right of way. Mr. Striblijig 
also holds a considerable block of stock 
in the Shelby County State Bank, of 
Clarence. In December, 1910, he was 
elected president of The Clarence Sav- 
ings Bank, which position he is now 
filling. 

He was united in marriage with Miss 
Susan Dorothy Hamilton, of Monroe 
county, Missouri, on April 28, 1868. She 
is a daughter of Clement A. and Cecilia 
T. (Brown) Hamilton, of Clarence. 
Seven children have been born of the 
union, five of whom are living: Jane 
Oneta, the wife of Joseph McDonald, of 
Brookfield, Missouri ; Lela, the wife of 
T. C. Stutz, also a resident of Brook- 
field; Ava and Clyde C, who are living 
at home with their parents; and Loretta, 
the wife of I. C. Yates, who lives in Mon- 
roe City. 

In his political alliance Mr. Stribling 
is a pronounced and active Democrat, 
zealous and effective in the service of his 
party, although seeking none of its 
honors or emolmnents for himself. Fra- 
ternally he is a Knight of Pythias, and 
in religious faith and allegiance is con- 
nected with the Catholic church. He is 
loyal and devoted to his party, his lodge 
and his church, and has been faithful 
and serviceable in his performance of 
all the duties of citizenship, standing 



high in the esteem of all the people as 
one of the best and most representative 
men in the county. 

THOMAS ROFF. 

Having reached the age of sixty-five 
and retired from all active pursuits of a 
strenuous character, the present life of 
Thomas Roff, one of the esteemed citi- 
zens of Shelbina, might seem to be one 
of rest, recreation and retrospection 
merely, but it is not so. He is still act- 
ively and intelligently interested in the 
improvement and general welfare of the 
community in which he makes his home 
and does his part as ever to promote its 
good; he still reveres the county and 
state in which his labors have been ex- 
pended, to whose advancement he has 
materially contributed, and is at the 
front with others in efforts for their yet 
greater development and progress; he 
has lost nothing of his regard for the 
people among whom his years of pro- 
ductive industry were passed, and he is 
constant in his wish and his endeavors 
to enlarge their happiness and substan- 
tial well being. So that even if he does 
no longer hold the plow, or reap the har- 
vest, or supply the live stock market, he 
is, nevertheless, still one of the workers 
for Shelby county's benefit and is re- 
garded as one of its most worthy and 
useful citizens. 

Mr. Roff was liorn in the county on 
April 2, 1844, and is a son of the late 
Peter Roif, an account of whose life will 
be fomid in a sketch of his other son, 
George Roff, in this work. Following 
the course, of most boys in the early days 
of a new countrv, Thomas Roff obtained 



•256 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



his education in the district schools in 
the neighborhood of his home, and while 
attending them assisted in the labors of 
all hands on his father's farm. The 
times were exacting in his boyhood and 
youth, the necessaries of life being so 
difficult to get and requiring so much ef- 
fort, that all the luxuries were unthought 
of. The pioneers of this section had the 
wUd expanse around them to awaken 
from its sleep of ages and the rough face 
of the country to smooth before they 
could find comeliness in its aspect or lib- 
erality in its bosom. And tlie exacting 
conditions bore heavily on the boys as 
well as on the men. on the daughters of 
the household as well as on the mothers. 
Thomas Roff was obliged by circum- 
stances to take his place among the toil- 
ers and do his full share toward supply- 
ing the needs of the home and family, 
and was therefore unable to seek other 
means of mental culture than those im- 
mediately at hand. He accepted his des- 
tiny with cheerfulness and performed its 
duties with all the ability and strength 
he could command. So entirely did he 
fall in with the genius of the time and 
locality that when he left school, instead 
of turning his back upon the rough life 
of the frontier, he remained on his 
father's farm and wrought with the rest 
until he reached the age of twenty-eight. 
Then, in 1S72, his father deeded kim a 
portion of the land he owned, and on this 
the son went heartily to work for him- 
self. During the succeeding twenty-seven 
years he farmed and raised live stock in- 
dustriously and profitably, continuing 
his oj^rations until 1SS9. when he gave 
up active industry and sought a retired 
life in Shelbina. where he has ever since 



had his home. He is a stockholder in the 
Shelbina National Bank and connected 
with other institutions of utility and 
value in the city and county, and to these 
he still gives the required share of his 
attention. 

His political faith has ever been fixed 
in the Democratic party and his activity 
in public affairs has been devoted to its 
welfare. His church affiliation is with 
the Christian sect, and in its behalf he 
has long been a faithful and a zealous 
worker. On AprU 15. 18S1, he was mar- 
ried to Miss Ella Hardcastle. of this 
county. They have had three children, 
of whom their daughter Lillian is the 
only one now living. 

TILMOX A. B-ULEY. 

Tilmon A. Bailey is a brother of John 
T. Bailey, of Shelbina. in a sketch of 
whom, on another page of this work, will 
1)e found an aceoimt of the life of their 
father. Tilmon O. Bailey, and the mother 
of the family. The subject of these para- 
graphs was bom in Monroe county. Mis- 
souri, on August 22, 1S62. He was reared 
on his father's farm, attending the dis- 
trict school in the neighborhood when he 
could be spared from the labor of culti- 
vating the homestead, and made good 
use of his limited opportunities in the 
way of scholastic acquirements. At the 
age of twenty he entered the Shelbina 
Collegiate Institute, which he attended 
imtil 1SS4. when he began a three years' 
course of study at Central College, which 
is located at Fayette, in this state. 

After completing his college course he 
became a teacher in the public schools of 
his native coimtv*. to which he rendered 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



257 



excellent service during a period of 
twelve years. He was elected county 
school commissioner of that county in 
1896 and held the office two years, vacat- 
ing it in 1898 and taking up his resi- 
dence at Shelbina. He brought with him 
into Shelby county a number of select 
shorthorn cattle with several jacks and 
jennets of a superior strain and stallions 
of high grade. With these he started an 
active industry in breeding stock, and 
also gave his services as a bookkeeper to 
the Commercial Bank of Shelbina and 
afterward, for a short time, to the Old 
Bank of the city. In 1906 he was elected 
cashier of tlie Fai'mers' and Merchants' 
Bank, as it was then called, but which, 
owing to a reorganization and change of 
management, is now known as the Shel- 
bina National Bank. But he did not re- 
main in this position long. Stock-breed- 
ing was more to his taste than banking, 
and in 1907 he retired from a business 
that was not entirely agreeable to him in 
order that he might give his whole time 
and attention to one that was. Since then 
he has been continuously and extensively 
engaged in raising stock, breeding con- 
siderable numbers of his own and han- 
dling many more by purchase and ex- 
change. 

In this industry his interest is ab- 
sorbed and to its study and development 
his time is given. He has become thor- 
oughly familiar with all the details and 
features of the business and is recog- 
nized wherever he is known as an author- 
ity of extensive information and entire 
reliability on the subject and all matters 
connected with it. In this connection it 
should be noted that he served for years 
as secretarv of an industrial association 



made up of Shelby and Monroe county 
shorthorn breeders, and also as manager 
and conductor of its sales of stock, which 
took place annually, the two positions 
being awarded to him without opposi- 
tion, so complete was his mastery and 
knowledge of the business considered. 

Mr. Bailey has taken considerable in- 
terest in the public affairs of his county, 
state and country. He is an ardent be- 
liever in the principles of the Democratic 
party and an earnest and effective 
worker in its behalf. He is also promi- 
nent in the fraternal life of the commu- 
nity as a member of the Masonic order, 
having served as Worshipful Master of 
the Lodge, High Priest of the Eoyal 
Arch Chapter, and Worthy Patron of 
the local organization of the order of the 
Eastern Star. He and wife hold mem- 
bership in the Southern Methodist 
church and are energetic and zealous 
workers. On September 1, 1892, he was 
married to Miss Frances Quisenberry, of 
Santa Fe, this state. They have had five 
children, three of whom are living and 
still imder the parental roof tree. They 
are Blanche, Twila and Phyllis. 

JUDGE NEWTON ADAMS. 

This venerable citizen of Shelbina, has 
outlived the allotted time of man, as pre- 
scribed by the jialmist, but he is still 
hale and hearty, and takes an active in- 
terest in all that pertains to the progress 
and advancement of the people among 
whom he has so long lived and labored. 
Judge Adams is a native of the "Blue 
Grass" state, having been born in Henry 
county of that state on January 1, 
1823. 



258 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



His parents, James and Katherine 
(Thornton) Adams, were natives of Ken- 
tucky and V i r g i n a resi^ectively, the 
father, like himself, being a native of 
Henry county, and there passed the ac- 
tive years of his life engaged in farming. 
In 1864. however, he severed the ties that 
bound him to his native state, and joined 
his children, who had preceded him to 
the great state of Missouri, making his 
home with them until his death, which 
occurred in Monroe county in 1874. 

He was twice married. His first wife, 
the mother of the interesting subject of 
the article, died in Kentucky, in 1845. Six 
sons and three daughters were born to 
them, all of whom are now dead but two 
sons and a daughter. The father chose 
for his second wife, Susan Kerlin, a 
widow. To them was born one son, Jo- 
seph W., who is now a resident of Chari- 
ton county, ]\Iissouri. 

The grandfather of Judge Adams was 
AYilliam Adams, a native of Ireland. He 
emigrated to America just prior to the 
revolution and settled in Pennsylvania. 
He was a soldier in the war of the revolu- 
tion, serving for nearly two years. When 
the colonies secured their independence, 
and peace was at last restored he emi- 
grated to Kentucky, and there passed 
the residue of his life. Pour of his sons 
saw service in the war of 1812, three of 
them were in the Northern campaign, 
and one was with General Jackson at 
New Orleans. One son, William, died 
in Canada, while in the service. 

Judge Newton Adams grew to man- 
hood among the pioneer scenes of his na- 
tive state, and endured many of the hard- 
ships and dangers incident to the settle- 



ment and development of that great com- 
monwealth. 

He attended the primitive schools of 
the day, but was early in life compelled 
to make his own way in the world, and 
began laying the foundation of his own 
fortune by working on nearby farms. The 
wages were small and thinking to better 
his condition, in 1850, he severed the home 
ties and started for Missouri, which was 
at that time attracting so many of the 
young men of that section. The trip was 
made by water to Hannibal, and he ar- 
rived there on Christmas daj" of the 
same year. 

He at once made his way inland to 
Monroe county, and purchased a farm of 
two hundred and forty acres, five miles 
south of Shelbina. 

The land was unimproved, and he at 
once set about making a home for him- 
self, enduring all the hardships and pri- 
vations incident to the founding of a 
home in a new countrj'. He continued 
to reside on that farm until 1864, bring- 
ing it to a high state of protluctiveness. 
In that year he disposed of the land and 
removed to Shelbina, where he made his 
home until 1883, when he purchased an- 
other tract of land in ^lonroe county, six 
miles southwest of Shelbina. 

This land he improved and resided 
upon until 1889. when he disposed of it 
and removed to Columbia, ^fissouri, that 
his children might have the advantage of 
the excellent schools of that place. After 
a residence of two years in Columbia, he 
again returned to Shelbina. and pur- 
chased a farm one mile south of the city 
on which he lived imtil 1906, when he re- 
tired from all active pursuits, and is now j 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



259 



passing the eveuiug of his loug aud 
active life in the city of Shelbiua, sur- 
rounded by a host of friends who respect 
him for the many sterling qualities of 
mind and heart they know him to pos- 
sess. 

"While a resident of Shelby county, 
Judge Adams was called upon to serve 
as county judge of the county, being first 
appointed to fill an unexpired term in 
1871, and elected in the fall following to 
succeed himself in the same office, and 
in this connection it might be well to 
state that he was the first Democrat 
elected to office in Shelby county after 
the war. While a resident of Monroe 
county he filled the office of justice of 
the peace for a number of years, and also 
of county assessor for one term. 

In polities the judge was first a 
"Know Nothing," but after the death of 
that party he aligned himself with the 
Democratic party, and for many years 
was considered one of the leaders in 
Shelby county. 

He was married in Monroe county, 
March 2, 1851, to Mrs. Martha (Sparks) 
Heridon, who like himself is a native of 
Kentucky. Ten children have been born 
to them, seven of whom are living — 
Sarah, William, Lucy, Mattie, Newton 
T., Jane and Vinnie. 

In religion he and wife are members 
of the Presbyterian church, the judge 
having united with the church when he 
was twenty years of age. He was also 
one of the charter members of the church 
at Shelbina and an elder of the same. 
Fraternally he belongs to the Masonic 
fraternity, becoming a Master Mason in 
1862, and has filled the chairs of Sr., 



Deacon and Worshipful Master of Shel- 
bina Lodge, No. 228. 

CHARLES S. BARKER. 

In the productive fields of peaceful in- 
dustry, in military service during the 
great Civil war, in connection with the 
management of mighty utilities of every 
day service to the people, and again in 
farming for a period, and then in the 
employ of the national government, 
Charles S. Barker, of Shelbina, has been 
of great service to the citizens of Mis- 
souri and several other states. His life 
of sixty-five years to this time has been 
a very busy one fi'om the age at which 
he became able to work, and all his pur- 
suits have ministered directly aud sub- 
stantially to the comfort, convenience 
and general well-being of the public. His 
long and faithful devotion to duty and 
his excellent record in every way have 
brought him the continued esteem of all 
who know him and registered him in the 
regard of the people as one of the most 
useful and worthy citizens of this county. 

Mr. Barker is a native of Shelby 
county and was born on November 17, 
1844. He is of Scotch ancestry on his 
father's side, his grandfather, John Bar- 
ker, having been born in the romantic 
land of Scott and Burns. In the war of 
1812 he raised a company of soldiers, 
with his brother George as captain. He 
emigrated to this coimtry in early man- 
hood, locating in Clinton county, Penn- 
sylvania, where Jonathan Barker, the 
father of Charles, was bom on July 27, 
1808. From his youth until November, 
1840, he was boatman on the Susque- 



260 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



hanna river. In the autumn of 1840 he 
came to this state and founded a new 
home on Salt river, in Shelby county, 
buying a tract of land which gave him 
water power for a mill. He developed 
his land and made it fruitful, and also 
built up an extensive trade at his mill, 
which he continued to develop until the 
high water of 1846 swejDt it away, follow- 
ing these pursuits steadily, industriously 
and profitably until his death on May 3, 
1894. 

Besides Jonathan Barker, others of 
his immediate family were instrumental 
in aiding the development of the country 
they had chosen for a home. His brother 
Geoi'ge, who came to this country in 
1820, was a surveyor for forty years. He 
also built the first mill at AValkerville, 
the place taking its name from Jonathan 
Walker, an own cousin of the father of 
Charles Baker, and the grandfather, 
Charles Smith, built the old court house 
in Shelbina. 

In November, 1842. he was married to 
Miss Emeline E. Smith, a resident of 
this county at the time but a native of 
Kentucky. Their offspring numbered 
ten and five are living, widely scattered 
in location and pursuits, but all exempli- 
fying the lessons and examples given 
them around the family hearth in useful 
avocations and contributions to the 
growth and development of our common 
country. They are: The subject of this 
brief review; Washington D., a resident 
of Gridley, California ; Mary F., now 
I\Irs. William Kealey, of Shelbina; 
Amanda, wife of Samuel E. Baker, of 
Shelbina; Helen N., who is married to 
James S. Barker and lives at Gridley, 
California ; and Jennie, who is Mrs. Will- 



iam Baird, of Spokane, Washington. The 
father was a ^Tiig in national politics 
imtil the death of the "Whig party and the 
formation of its vigorous and aggressive 
successor, the Republican party, after 
which he gave his allegiance to the new 
organization and faithfully supported it 
as long as he lived. He was also a de- 
vout and serviceable member of the Bap- 
tist church for a great many years. He 
died after nearly completing his eighty- 
ninth year of life on earth, and left be- 
hind him as a priceless heritage for his 
children a good name and the record of 
well spent years and powers, in addition 
to the material accumulation they had 
enabled him to gather. 

Charles S. Barker grew to manhood on 
his father's farm in Shelby county and 
obtained his education at the district 
school of the neighborhood, his experi- 
ences in these respects being like those 
of nearly all the children of the frontier. 
When the Civil war began he was but 
sixteen years of age, but he felt a stern 
call to duty in defense of the integrity of 
the Union, and, boy as he was, enlisted 
in the Federal army in a company that 
was soon afterward placed under the 
command of General John McNeil, of St. 
Louis, whose principal headquarters 
were at Cape Girardeau, in this state. 
The company participated in the battles 
of Cape Girardeau, Bloomfield and 
Kirksville in Missouri, and in many 
minor engagements. Mr. Barker escaped 
uninjured from the war and soon after 
its close became an employe of the Han- 
nibal & St. Joseph Railroad Company, 
which he served with fidelity and ability 
for a period of eighteen months. He 
then moved to Loekliaven, Pennsylvania, 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



261 



to be still connected with the railway 
service and take an appointment in it 
under the Pennsylvania system, in which 
he was emi^loyed five years. 

In 1878, with, the training he had se- 
cured in his experience in the railway 
service, and his faculties broadened and 
brightened by work in a different section 
of the coimtrj^, Mr. Barker i-eturned to 
Missouri and during the next five j^ears 
devoted his energies to building bridges. 
He next engaged in farming for eight 
years on the old family homestead. In 
1901 he entered the postal service Bf the 
United States in Shelbina and is still 
connected with it. He has given his sup- 
port loyally to the Republican party 
from the dawn of his manhood, for many 
years has found the consolations of re- 
ligion as an earnest worker in the Bap- 
tist church, of which he is a member, 
and has enjoyed fraternal life as a mem- 
ber of the Masonic order. On December 
15, 1891, he was united in marriage with 
Miss Jennie Parrish, of Macon county, 
in this state. The two children that have 
blessed their union, their daughters Vir- 
ginia Frances and Ruth, still abide with 
them in their pleasant home iu Shelbina, 
which is a favorite resort of their hosts 
of admiring friends. 

FARMERS' AND MERCHANTS' 
BANK OF HUNNEWELL. 

This valued financial institution, which 
has been of great service to the commu- 
nity in which it has been operating for 
about two years, has already secured a 
hold on the public regard and confidence 
that assures its continued and increasing 
success, and promises great things for 



the future in the way of covenience to 
the people and development of the town 
and surrounding country, which have 
been greatly in need of the facilities it 
affords for the ijuick dispatch of busi- 
ness and convenience in transactions. 

The bank was founded in November, 
1908, with a capital stock of $10,000 and 
the following directorate : President, Al- 
bert L. Vaughn ; vice president, W. B. 
Arnold; cashier, W. B. Herron; direct- 
ors, Albert L. Vaughn, W. B. Arnold, 
John W. Carr, Harry Duer, Ben Par- 
sons, Jerry Jeffries, E. A. Fiye and C. 
L. Landrum. Mr. Frye died in April, 
1910, and he was succeeded by J. Weldon 
Hardesty. From the day on which its 
doors were opened for business it has 
been doing well and steadily increasing 
its trade, while the public appreciation 
of its wise management, liberal policy 
and manifest soundness has grown as its 
operations have expanded. Located, as 
it is, at the junction of three rich and 
progressive counties, and having the en- 
terprising people of them all to draw 
upon for business, the bank is bound to 
succeed and make its mark in the finan- 
cial world. It is, moreover, under the 
management of careful and capable men, 
who, in protecting and advancing tbeir 
own interests in connection with it, will 
do all in their power to promote the wel- 
fare of its patrons and facilitate their 
business operations to the fullest extent 
consistent with safety and good banking 
direction. The bank does a general bank- 
ing business, embracing every approved 
and up-to-date feature, and lays all its 
resources under tribute to ]irovide for 
the wants of the community and its 
people in every possible way. 



262 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Albert L. Vauglin, the president of the 
bank and its leading business inspiration 
and controlling force, is conducting his 
new venture right among the people with 
whom his whole life, so far, has been 
passed. He was born, reared and edu- 
cated in ^lonroe county, and found his 
partner for life in Hunnewell. Those 
who trade with him and his bank know 
well, therefore, what to expect from his 
high character and the record of his 
years, which is an open book before 
them. His life began on his father's 
farm on July 31, 1870, and was passed 
under the family roof until he reached 
the age of twenty-eight. 

His parents were Fielding Pope and 
Eva (Williams) Vaughn, the former a 
native of Lexington county, Kentuckj% 
and the latter bom and reared in Platte 
county, Missouri. They were married 
on November 16, 1868, and Albert was 
the first born of their sis children, five 
of whom are living, the others being J. 
C. Vaughn, of Eocky Ford, Colorado; 
Mattie B., wife of Eugene Gardner, of 
Kampa, Idaho; T. B. Vaughn, of Shel- 
bina, and Pattie, who lives in Shelbina. 

In political faith and activity the 
father was a firm and loyal Democrat all 
the days of his mature life, taking a 
great interest in the welfare of his party 
and doing all he could to promote it. 
Fraternally he was connected with the 
^lasonic order, in which he was a Knight 
Temjilar; and in religious affiliation he 
was a member of the Christian church, 
in whose benevolent and evangelizing 
work he took the share of a zealous and 
effective worker. The first few years of 
his life in this state were pa.^^sed on a 
farm in Platte countv, and from tliere 



he moved to Monroe county, where he 
lived until his death in 1903. His father, 
who also was named Fielding Pope 
^"aughn, was a native of Kentucky. 

Albert L. Vaughn located in Himne- 
well on May 25, 1898. His first venture 
into the business life of the community 
was as a livery keeper and dealer in 
horses, a line of industry and merchan- 
dising he still follows in addition to his 
services at tlie bank. He was made pres- 
ident of this institution when it was 
founded in November, 1908, and is still 
rendering valued and fruitful service in 
that capacity, showing a film grasp of 
the business, a high degree of capacity 
for its requirements and continued fidel- 
ity and strict integrity in attending to it. 

In politics ilr. Vaughn is a staunch 
and unwavering Democrat ; and although 
he desires none of the honors or emolu- 
ments of public office for himself, he 
takes an active part in the campaigns of 
his party and gives its candidates ener- 
getic and effective support on all occa- 
sions. His fraternal relations are with 
the order of Modem Woodmen of Amer- 
ica and his religious connection is with 
the Christian church. In both organiza- 
tions he is zealous and productive in his 
work, exhibiting wisdom and prudence 
in counsel and productive industry in ef- 
fort in their behalf. He was married on 
November 20, 1897, to Miss Lyda Mc- 
Atee, of Hunnewell. Four children have 
brightened and sanctified their domestic 
altar. Of these, three are living and still 
surround the parental hearthstone. They 
are two daughters, Gladys and Althea, 
and one son, AHiert L.. Jr. Mr. Vaughn 
is in the prime of life, with all his facul- 
ties in full vi2;or. his energies awake and 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



263 



potential, and the ambitions of his career 
still unsatisfied. But with the progress 
he has made as a standard of deduction 
it is safe to say that he will win the suc- 
cess he aims at in business, as he has al- 
ready won the guerdon of a high place 
in the good will and regard of the people 
among whom he lives and labors, ex- 
pending his efforts in their behalf as well 
as in furtherance of his own fortunes. 

OLD BANK OF SHELBINA. 

This fine and sterling institution, 
whose history runs like a veritable 
thread of gold through the chronicles of 
.Shelbiua, was founded in 1873, with a 
capital stock of $25,000. It was the suc- 
cessor of the First National Bank, which 
was foimded by John F. Benjamin, who 
conducted it for a number of years. It 
was then turned into a private bank and 
operated as such by Messrs. Eeid & Tay- 
lor, who had charge of it until it was re- 
organized as the Bank of Shelbina. Un- 
der this last name it was known and did 
a flourishing business until 1903, when a 
new charter was granted and "The Old 
Bank" was founded. In the manage- 
ment of its affairs William H. Warren 
succeeded Mr. Eeid and served as presi- 
dent of the Bank of Shelbina until his 
death in 1898. 

AVhen the Old Bank was organized in 
1903 it started business with a capital 
stock of $50,000. Its officers were : Presi- 
dent, Frank Dimmitt; vice-president, D. 
G. Minter; cashier, C. K. Dickerson; as- 
sistant cashier, E. J. King; directors, C. 
H. Lasley, George AV. Humphrej^ James 
F. Allgaier, J. William Towson, E. E. 
Smith, Silas Threlkeed and Frank Dim- 



mitt. It has a very creditable career 
and has been an essential and exceed- 
ingly serviceable factor in the develop- 
ment and progress of the community, 
and has contributed vitally and steadily 
to the comfort, convenience and substan- 
tial welfare of the people, helping, by 
its liberal policy and enterprising meth- 
ods, all forms of public improvements 
and private undertakings, and it is justly 
esteemed as one of the leading elements 
of all that is good and useful in the finan- 
cial life of the community. 

THE HUNNEWELL BANK. 

After ten years of active and increas- 
ing business, in which it has fully justi- 
fied the hopes of its founders and met 
the expectations and requirements of 
the people who trade with it, the Hunne- 
well Bank can confidently claim that it 
deserves the high regard in which it is 
held in the community and the excellent 
reputation it has in the financial world. 
It was incorporated on January 18, 1889, 
under the name it now bears and with 
the following official staff and directo- 
rate : President, J. V. Cox ; vice presi- 
dent, John Bohrer ; cashier, W. F. Black- 
luirn; directors, the above named gen- 
tlemen and Thomas Irons, A. C. Balliet, 
who is secretarj" of the board, W. IT. 
Sanders and Obe Thomas. The capital 
Sanders and Obe Thomas. The capital 
stock was $25,000, having been raised to 
that amount from $20,000 in January 
of the year 1909, when a general re- 
organization took place. 

The first organization continued until 
January, 1892, when W. B. Thiehoff was 
elected a director in iihice of W. H. San- 



26-1 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ders. In January, 1894, Mr. Thielioff 
was elected secretary of the board in 
place of A. C. Balliet, and filled it until 
September, 1909. In January, 1909. as 
has been stated, a general reorganization 
took place, resulting in the increase in 
the capital stock above mentioned, with 
the addition of a surplus of $1,230, and 
the election of the following officers : A. 
C. Balliet, president ; B. F. Broughton, 
vice president; Edward L. Blackburn, 
cashier ; and A. C. Balliet, B. F. Brough- 
ton, J. W. Nesbit. J. A. 'Daniel, Wesley 
Barker, R. H. Durett and W. B. Thiehoff. 
directors, the last named being secretary 
of the board. On February 22. 1909, 
Edward L. Blackburn died and J. A. 
O 'Daniel was chosen cashier in his place 
with C. P. Painter assistant cashier. In 
April, 1910, J. A. 'Daniel was elected 
president and C. P. Painter cashier. The 
official statement of the condition of the 
bank at the close of business on June 23, 
1909, made under oath by the i^resident 
and cashier, showed total resources 
amounting to $93,564.47, with the sum 
of $(55,787.29 on deposit, subject to check 
or time certificates, and net undivided 
profits aggregating $2,777.28. The man- 
agement of the bank from the beginning 
of its career has been wise and progres- 
sive. Its business has been of a general 
character, including all ap])roved fea- 
tures of advanced modern banking, and 
as its resources and the volume of its 
trade have increased, its good name and 
sterling character have correspondingly 
risen among the peojile, so that it is now 
recognized as one of the soundest, most 
complete and best directed financial in- 
stitutions in this part of the country. 
"William B. Thiehoff, who is one of the 



leading potencies in the management of 
the bank and in popularizing it and 
spreading its influence among the people 
of the three counties at whose junction 
it is located, was born in Shenandoah 
county, Virginia, on September 23, 1844. 
His parents were Anthony B. and Cai-o- 
line (Kibler) Thiehoff, the former a na- 
tive of Germany and the latter of the 
same nativity as her son. The father 
was born in 1812 and came to the United 
States in 1834. He at once took up his 
residence in Shenandoah county, Vir- 
ginia, and there he wrought faithfully 
and profitably at his trade as a tailor 
until 1861, when be brought his family 
to Missouri and located at Hunnewell, 
where he was engaged in general mer- 
chandising until his death in August, 
1892. His marriage occurred in 1837 and 
resulted in a family of six children, three 
of whom are living : John H., of Austin, 
Texas ; AVilliam B., of Hunnewell ; and 
Isabelle C, who is now the wife of R. 
B. Durbin, of Hunnewell. His wife died 
after many years of faithful service to 
her home and offspring, and in Septem- 
ber, 1862, the father married again, being 
united with Miss Sarah E. Spalding, a 
native of Kentucky. They had one child, 
their daughter, ^Nlary E., who is now the 
wife of A. C. Spaulding and lives in 
Hunnewell. The father was a Democrat 
in politics, a Catholic in religion and an 
Odd Fellow in fraternal life. 

His son, AVilliam B., began his educa- 
tion in the district schools of AHrginia 
and completed it in those of Missouri. 
After leaving school he followed general 
farm work until 1869, when he embai"ked 
in the furniture and undertaking busi- 
ness in Hunnewell. He adhered to these 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



265 



lines of mereautile life uutil 1905, theu 
sold out his business aud moved to Han- 
nibal in this state. Near that city he en- 
gaged in farming and raising live stock, 
and also in dairying on a large scale. He 
is still conducting those enterpi-ises with 
success and profit for himself and greatly 
to the advantage of the jieople living 
around him and in the city of his home, 
■where he has his principal market. Al- 
though living in Hannibal, he still serves 
the Hunnewell Bank faithfully and effi- 
ciently as the secretary of its board of 
directors. Always active and intelligent 
in working for the good of the com- 
munity in wliich he maintained his home, 
he exhibited to the people of Hannibal 
such superior qualifications for adminis- 
trative duties that they elected him 
mayor of the city and found they had 
made no mistake in their choice. He 
gave them a good administration of 
city affairs, promoting the ijrogress of 
the municipality and carefully guarding 
all its interests from neglect and spolia- 
tion. 

In his political allegiance, Mr. Thie- 
hoff has always been a pronounced work- 
ing Democrat. The candidates and 
struggles of his party always enlist his 
active aid and his services are at all 
times found to be effective. In fraternal 
life he is a prominent member of the Ma- 
sonic order, in which he has long been 
a hard and fruitful worker. He served 
the Hunnewell lodge of the order seven- 
teen years as secretary, one year as 
senior warden and two as worshipful 
master, holding it up to the highest 
standard of Masonic work and regularity 
at all times, and infusing great interest 
and instruction into its meetings. He 



was married in 1880 to Miss Sarah Etta 
Jones, a native of Missouri. They have 
had one child, their daughter Augusta 
L., who is now the wife of C. D. Young 
aud a resident of Hannibal. In all the 
relations of life, Mr. Thiehoff has ex- 
hibited an elevated and elevating citi- 
zenship, and in all his business ventures 
he has shown great capacity and energy, 
involving zeal tempered with prudence, 
and a commanding progressiveness re- 
strained and governed by an enlightened 
conservatism. He has been very success- 
ful and is regarded as one of the leading- 
business men and best citizens of the 
portion of the state in which he lives. 

ANDEEW B. DUNLAP. 

Descended from long lines of sturdy 
and productive ancestors, Andrew B. 
Dunlap, of Hunnewell, had shown in 
several fields of human endeavor that 
heredity has weight, exem])lifying by his 
own industry, capacity, sterling char- 
acter and success in life the strains from 
which he sprang and the fiber of which 
they were comi^osed. He has taken the 
qualities of his being as his capital and 
invested them in a career of great credit 
to himself and decided advantage to the 
community in which they have been em- 
ployed. 

Mr. Dunlap was born on August 1.3, 
1874, in Hannibal, Missouri, and is a son 
of Robert H. and Delma C. (Smith) Dun- 
lap. a brief account of whose lives is 
published elsewhere in this work. He 
was brought to Himnewell by his parents 
in his infancy, so that practically the 
whole of his life has been passed in that 
city. He was educated in its imblic 



•266 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



schools, grew to manhood among its peo- 
ple, and learned his trade of printer in 
the office of its newspaper. He is there- 
fore almost wholly a product of the com- 
munity in which he now lives and labors. 
and the community is well pleased to 
have him taken as one of its most repre- 
sentative citizens. 

For several years after acquiring a 
mastery of the craft with which he is still 
allied, he worked as a journeyman 
printer in different places in the state, 
enlarging in every day experience his 
knowledge of his business and extend- 
ing his acquaintance among the jieople. 
acquiring extensive information of their 
aspirations, feelings and convictions by 
mingling with them in a variety of lo- 
calities and imder a variety of circum- 
stances. This experience was most val- 
uable as a schooling and preparation 
for the work that was before him and 
in which he is now engaged. 

In 1897 he purchased "The Graphic," 
a weekly newspaper published in Himne- 
well, of which he has ever since been the 
proprietor and editor. In conducting 
this paper and seeking to make it the ex- 
pression of the interests, the progress 
and the ambitions of one section of the 
state — the character of its people and 
the high purposes that animate them — 
he is enabled to do better work and give 
clearer \-iews by reason of his knowledge 
of other portions. And it is much to his 
credit that, having acquired this knowl- 
edge, he makes free and projier use of it 
to the advantage of all sections. 

Mr. Dunlap has a broad and compre- 
hensive mind of great activity which 
could never be satisfied or employ all its 



energies in one line of effort. In addi- 
tion to editing and publishing "The 
Graphic," he is also assistant cashier of 
the Fanners' and Merchants' Bank of 
Hunuewell. in which lie holds stock, and 
is secretary of its board of directors. 

With so many business interests in the 
city, it is inevitable that Mr. Dunlap is 
earnestly, actively and intelligently in- 
terested in its welfare, and this he has 
shown on all occasions and in reference 
to every enterprise for its advancement 
and improvement. He could not be what 
he is in business if he were not progres- 
sive and far-seeing, and as he is these 
in his own affairs, he is correspondingly 
progressive and far-seeing in reference 
to the general welfare of the community. 
So manifest have been liis traits in this 
respect that in 1906, when he was but 
thirty-two years old. he was elected 
mayor of Hunuewell. and during the 
three succeeding years guided the for- 
tunes of the city with a skillful hand and 
to the satisfaction of all the people, re- 
signing the office in the spring of 1909. 
Eeelected in 1910. 

In public affairs on a larger field Mr. 
Dunlap is also earnestly, actively and in- 
telligently interested. His county, his 
state and his country engage his atten- 
tion in the warmest manner and he does 
all he can to promote the general weal 
of each and all. He is a Republican in 
politics, but his patriotism is not limited 
by party lines. Whatever seems good to 
him in local or general jiolitical require- 
ments secures his support and advocacy. 
In fraternal life he is connected with 
two of the benevolent societies so numer- 
ous among men, the Independent Order 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



267 



of Odd Fellows and the Modern Wood- 
men of America. His church affiliation 
is with the Southern Methodists. 

On December 3, 1896, ^Ir. Dunlap was 
imited in marriage with Miss Lizzie P. 
Hightower of this county. They have four 
children, their son, Chester Howard and 
their daughters, Ethel Virginia, Eva One- 
ta, and Andrew Lewis, who are the orna- 
ments and the light and life of their 
pleasant home. That the head of the 
household has been very successful in 
his business is a logical sequence of his 
natural endowments, his acquired pow- 
ers, and the use he has made of them. 
That he is popular in the community fol- 
lows from his warm interest in its wel- 
fare and his continuous efforts to pro- 
mote it. As an evidence of his progres- 
siveness it should be stated that he put 
up the tirst concrete building in the 
county. With youth, health and strength 
on his side, and a high ideal of citizen- 
ship as his inspiration, the future should 
have much in store for him, in business, 
in public life, or in both, according to 
his desire. 

EDWIN A. FEYE. 

(Deceased.) 

Like many others of our men of mold 
and consequence in business, industrial 
and public life, the late Edwin A. Frye, 
of Hunnewell, drew liis stature and his 
strength practically from the soil, grow- 
ing from infancy to manhood on a farm, 
and, as soon as he was able, taking his 
place among those who were performing 
its useful labors and getting in return 
strength of l)ody and independence and 
self-reliance of spirit. 

Mr. Frve was a son of Henrv B. and 



Permalia A. (Wilson) Frj'e, and was 
born in Shelby county on February 1, 
1864. His grandfather, Henry Westfall 
Frye, was a native of Virginia before its 
division into two states in the lottery of 
civil war, living in Hardy county, in that 
part which is now AYest Virginia, and 
there the parents of Edwin A. Frye were 
born, reared, educated and married. The 
father's life began in September, 1826, 
and all of its maturity, excejit the last 
four years, as well as its boyhood and 
youth, was devoted to farming and rais- 
ing live stock. These pursuits occupied 
him until 1860 in his native state. In 
that year he yielded to a longing that 
had long possessed him and determined 
to try his fortunes in the virgin region 
beyond the Mississippi. He came to Mis- 
souri and in this state continued the 
operations in which he had been engaged 
in the state of his nativity. 

He took some time to look the ground 
over in his new location, and in 1868 
bought a farm in Shelby county, and on 
that exerted his efforts for advancement 
and success until 1905. He then sold his 
farm and took up his residence in Hun- 
newell, where he has ever since been liv- 
ing, retired from active pursuits and 
looked upon as one of the most estimable 
citizens of the community, whose people 
know that he has borne well his part in 
the battle of life and is fully entitled to 
the rest he is enjoying. He was united 
in marriage with Miss Parmelia Wilson, 
and three children blessed their union. 
Two of them are living: Henry W., an 
esteemed citizen of Kansas City, Mis- 
souri, and Alary E., the wife of George 
T. Smithey, of Monroe county, this state. 
The father is an ardent Democrat in pol- 



268 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



itics, loyally devoted to the welfare of 
his party, and a zealous member of the 
Southern Methodist church in reUgious 
faith. 

Edwin A Frj^e obtained his education 
in the public schools of Shelby county, 
ending his specific scholastic training 
with the course of instruction thej' af- 
forded. After completing that he con- 
tinued the assistance on his father's 
faiTu which he had been g'n^ing from Jiis 
boyhood, and then rented land which he 
farmed on his own account until 1896. 
In that year he turned his attention to 
another line of endeavor, engaging in the 
insurance business, with headquarters in 
Hunnewell, carrying on also operations 
in real estate and loans. He devoted 
himself to these avenues of business with 
success in a financial way and with grow- 
ing eminence and esteem among the peo- 
ple. He was one of the stockholders in 
the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank, of 
Hunnewell, and a member of its board 
of directors at the time of his death, 
April 29, 1910. 

He was ever active and intelligent in 
his efforts to promote the welfare of the 
community in which he lived. In polit- 
ical allegiance he was a firm and faithful 
Democrat, loyal to his party and as ear- 
nest and zealous as any in his efforts to 
maintain its supremacy. Fraternally he 
was a member of the Court of Honor, 
and in church affiliation was allied with 
the Southern Methodists. No man in 
the city was more highly esteemed. 

WILLIAM B. HEBRON. 

The family of which William B. Her- 
ron, of Hunnewell, is a scion illustrates 
in three generations of its life the gen- 



eral trend of American history from 
colonial times to the present day, or al- 
most until this period. That history has 
been a continual flow of the tide of emi- 
gration from the Atlantic toward the 
Pacific and a conquest of one portion of ; 
the wilderness after another, the sons 
taking up the march of advance in the 
wake of the setting sun where the fathers f 
laid it down, until the whole continent 
became covered, settled and subjugated 
to the requirements of civilization. 

Mr. Herron's grandfather, David Her- 
ron, was a native of Pennsylvania, and 
felt the "call of the wild" when he was 
a young man. He left the scenes and 
associations of his boyhood and youth 
and plimged into what was then the wil- 
derness of Indiana, locating in the por- 
tion now forming Ohio county of that 
great, populous and progressive state. 
There the father of William B. was born 
and reared, and he in turn took up his 
pilgrimage toward the Farther West 
when his time came for the task, moving 
onward with the tide of progi-ess to Mis- 
souri, where he passed the remainder of 
his days. 

William B. Herron was born in Dear- 
born county, Indiana, on January 28, 
1866, and is the son of Jesse T. and Au- 
gusta (Lamkin) Herron, natives of In- 
diann, where the father's life began on 
July 21, 1834. The father grew to man- 
hood in his native state and obtained his 
education there. On leaving school he 
turned his attention to the occupation to 
which he had been reared, fanning and 
raising live stock, and in that he was en- 
gaged during the remainder of his resi- 
dence in Indiana and for a short time 
after his arrival in the state of Missouri 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



269 



in the spring of 1868, tilling the soil of 
Shelby county. In 1875 he abandoned 
farming and turned merchant, carrying 
on extensively as a grocer at Clarence 
until 1903, when he sold his establish- 
ment and retired from business. He died 
in Clarence on October 24, 1905. He was 
a Republican in politics, a Freemason in 
fraternal life and a member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church in religious con- 
nection, and was zealous and faithful in 
his duty in all. Called upon to lay down 
his trust at the advanced age of seventy- 
one, he went to his tomb respected by all 
who knew him and his memory is cher- 
ished bj^ the people among whom he lived 
and labored as that of one of the best 
citizens of the county. 

On March 16, 1865, he was joined in 
marriage with j\Iiss Augusta Lamkin, 
whose life, like his own, as has been 
stated, began in Indiana. Of the four 
children born to them all are living: 
Their first born, William B. ; Cora, the 
wife of E. B. Smith, of Craig, Missouri; 
Kate, the wife of Dr. F. L. Magoon, of 
St. Louis ; and Minnie, who lives in Clar- 
ence, this county. 

On the completion of his education, 
which was obtained in the public schools 
of Clarence, William B. Herron entered 
his father's grocery as a clerk and sales- 
man, in which he was employed until 
1890, when he entered general merchan- 
dising as an employe of B. P. Eutledge, 
of Clarence. He remained with Mr. Rut- 
ledge ten years, with the exception of a 
few months, and devoted himself to the 
business of the house with such close 
and studious attention that he acquired 
a thorough knowledge of it and became 
so confident of his proficiency that in 



1901 lie entered the lists as a general 
merchant himself in Hunnewell. The 
next year he took H. Kirkwood in as a 
partner, and the firm then became Her- 
ron & Kirkwood. They disposed of this 
business December 1, 1909. Mr. Herron 
was elected cashier of the Fanners' and 
Merchants' Bank on March 15, 1909. He 
is still rendering satisfactory service to 
the bank and the community in that ca- 
pacity and by his business acimien, per- 
sonal influence and enterprise in his 
work is greatly helping to build up the 
trade of the institution and enlarge and 
strengthen its hold on the confidence and 
regard of the people. 

Mr. Herron 's political faith is given 
to the Republican policies and principles 
in national affairs, and while he is not 
an extreme partisan, he acts upon his 
convictions by loyally supporting his 
party and its candidates at all times. 
Fraternally he is a Knight of Pythias, 
a Modern Woodman of America and a 
member of the Masonic order, being the 
treasurer of his lodge in the society last 
named. On March 25, 1884, he was mar- 
ried to Miss Belle Hill, a native of 
Shelby county, in this state, who was 
"reared and educated at Clarence. They 
have had two children, but one of whom 
is living, their son, Claude E., who is a 
resident of Hunnewell. Mr. Herron is a 
gentleman of fine public spirit, which he 
manifests by his cordial and intelligent 
interest in all the affairs of the commu- 
nity of his home and his earnest efforts 
to promote the welfare of the people in 
every waj^ He enjoys in a marked de- 
gree the regard and good will of all 
classes of the citizenship of the 
county. 



270 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ELI C. DAVIS, M. D. 

All his life a resident and for more 
than fifty years an active physician and 
surgeon among the people of Missouri, 
and in eveiy relation and under all cir- 
cumstances an exemplar of all the bland 
amenities of social culture and natural 
gentility. Dr. Eli C. Davis, of Hunne- 
well, is justly esteemed as among the 
finest tj'pes of citizenship the state has 
to offer for the consideration and high 
regard of men. The best estimate of his 
elevated character, extensive profes- 
sional attainments and generous and 
courtly disposition is to be found among 
the people of this county who have 
dwelt with him and had the benefit of his 
labors for a period of half a century. 

Dr. Davis was born in Marion county, 
this state, on March 3, 1830, and is a de- 
scendant of old North Carolina families, 
which dignified and adorned the profes- 
sional, business and public life of that 
good old state for generations before the 
branch to which he belongs foimded a 
new home for the name in Kentucky, 
whither his grandfather, John Davis, 
moved in his early manhood. The Doc- 
tor's parents, John and Elizabeth (Dick) 
Davis, were born in North Carolina and 
reared in Kentucky, the father's life be- 
ginning in 1790. He farmed for a living, 
and while the fruits of his labors were 
considerable in the state of his adoption, 
either because they were not all he 
wished, or because he had inherited a 
love of adventure and conquest from his 
ancestors, he determined in 1824 to leave 
the region which had welcomed him into 
being and try his fortunes in the farther 
wilderness of that dav. 



On his arrival in this state in the year 
last mentioned the elder Davis located in 
what is now Marion county and contin- 
ued his farming and stock-raising opera- 
tions until 1856, when he became an in- 
valid and was forced to give up all active 
pursuits. He died in September, 1859, 
generally esteemed as a good man who 
was called from his earthly labors at an 
age when he was just prepared to enjoy 
the rest he had so richly earned. He was 
a firm believer in the principles and theo- 
ries of government proclaimed by the 
^^l\\g party and gave that organization 
his earnest and effective support from 
the dawn of his manhood to the close of 
his long and useful life. His religious 
feelings found a suitable field for their 
exercise and emploj-ment in the doctrines 
of the Baptist church, of which he was 
long a member and in which he was for 
many years an active worker. He was 
married in 1811 to Miss Elizabeth Dick, 
a native of North Carolina. They had 
twelve children, of whom the Doctor is 
the only one now living. 

Dr. Davis obtained his scholastic train- 
ing in the district schools of Marion 
county, the only means available to him 
for such discipline, and might have been 
expected to tuni his attention to the oc- 
cupation of his father and his fore- 
fathers, situated as he was. But he had 
aspirations to a different career, and 
supplemented his slender academic ac- 
quisitions by industrious and reflective 
reading as a means to the end he had in 
view. In 1856 he entered the medical de- 
partment of the Iowa State University 
at Keokuk, and from this he was grad- 
uated in 1858 with the degree of M. D. 
He at once began the practice of his pro- 




FRANK DIMMITT 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



271 



fessiou in Knox county, but a short time 
afterward located at Hunnewell, wliere 
he found a ripe field for his labors, and 
in this county he has ever since resided. 
He continued in active practice until 
1906, when he deemed that he had earned 
the right to retire in obedience to the ad- 
monitions of advancing years. For a 
long time he has been an active member 
of the Shelby County and the Northern 
Missouri Medical associations and taken 
a prominent part in their proceedings, 
contributing to their deliberations all 
the light he could from his experience 
and observation and drawing unto him- 
self from them all the benefit his oppor- 
tunities allowed. 

On November 9, 1858, the Doctor was 
united in marriage with Miss Susan Day, 
of Marion county. They became the par- 
ents of thirteen children, ten of whom 
are living: Lily Jane, wife of Charles T. 
Cox, of Hunnewell ; John Thomas, a res- 
ident of Kansas; Jennie, wife of Dr. 
William T. Bell, of Stoutsville, Monroe 
county; Herman C; Myrta Ellen, wife 
of W. L. Pollard, of Montrose, Colorado ; 
Ida Elizabeth, wife of Fletcher Blanford, 
of Lebanon, Kentucky; Effie, of Lamar, 
Colorado; Alice, wife of S. C. McAtee, 
of Lamar, Colorado; Florence Dixie, of 
Denver, Colorado; and Susan, who is 
still at home. 

The Doctor is allied with the Demo- 
cratic party in national politics and has 
long followed its fortunes in success and 
defeat, at all times doing what he could 
to win the former, and bearing the latter 
with all the resignation of a philosopher 
and the enthusiasm of youth, which 
hopes for better results next time. He 
belongs to the Masonic order and the 



Odd Fellows in fraternal relations and 
has been prominent and zealous in be- 
half of the enduring welfare of both 
orders. In his Masonic Lodge he has 
served well as Worshipful Master, and 
in his Odd Fellows lodge has occupied 
every chair in succession to the highest. 
In his profession he has been eminent in 
this section of the state, and as a citizen 
he has always been held in the highest 
esteem. The nearly sixty years of his 
mature life have been crowded with use- 
fulness and its evening is full of be- 
nignant cheerfulness while he rests 
calmly under its retiring sun crowned 
with the laurels of a faithful perform- 
ance of duty and a record of achieve- 
ments not many men, even of his years, 
can surpass and but few can equal. 

FRANK DIMMITT. 

Frank Dimmitt, who is president of the 
"Old Bank of Shelbina," has been an 
important factor in connection with the 
industrial and business atTairs of Shelby 
county, which has represented his home 
from his boyhood days, and he stands 
today as one of the honored and influen- 
tial citizens of the county in which he has 
attained to success and prestige through 
well-directed efforts along normal lines 
of iiroductive enterprise. 

As a banker he has long been promi- 
nent and influential and as a citizen and 
man of affairs he stands exponent of the 
utmost loyalty an<l ])ublic spirit. 

Mr. Dimmitt, who has been from the 
start its leading impulse and controlling 
spirit of the "Old Bank of Shelbina," 
was born on December 2, 1857, near 
Boonville, Cooper county, Missouri, and 



272 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



is a son of Dr. Philip T. and Frances 
(Agee) Dimmitt, the former born and 
reared in Kentucky and the latter in Vir- 
ginia. A complete sketch of the father 's 
life appears on other pages of this 
vohune. 

His son, Frank Dimmitt, grew to man- 
hood on a farm in Shelby county and ob- 
tained his education in the Shelbyville 
high school. He was zealous and faith- 
ful in the performance of his duties on 
the faim, and admiring friends who ob- 
served his capacity for farm work and 
his steady adherence to its exacting re- 
quirements, looked upon him as one of 
the coming leaders in the agricultural 
life of the county. But he was not him- 
self satisfied with his daily round of toil, 
blessed as it was with independence, 
plenty and good prospects, but felt with- 
in him a stirring impulse toward an oc- 
cuiiation which would bring him more 
extensively and directly into contact 
with men and jirovide greater immediate 
and subsequent rewards for devotion to 
its claims and development of its possi- 
bilities. He was graduated from Shel- 
byville high school in 1874, then taught 
school for four years during the winter 
months, and after that clerked for a time 
in a mercantile enterprise. From 1878 
to 1881 he was engaged in farming. In 
the year last named he moved to Clar- 
ence and gave his attention to the dry 
goods and clotliing trade for a period of 
six years. 

At the end of that time he returned to 
Shelbwille, where he worked in his fath- 
er's bank until 1890. In 1888 he was 
elected county treasurer for a term of 
two years, and when his term in this of- 
fice ex])ired was chosen clerk of the cir- 



cuit court and recorder, a capacity in 
which he served eight years with credit 
to himself and benefit to all who had 
dealings with his office. In September, 
1898, he was made president of the Old 
Bank, and in this important and respon- 
sible position he has served the patrons 
of the bank and the people of the com- 
munity faithfully ever since. 

In 2)olitics Mr. Dimmitt is a pro- 
nounced and zealous Democrat. In fra- 
ternal relations he is an Odd Fellow and 
a Knight of Pythias, and in church affil- 
iation a member of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, South. He was married 
on [March 13, 1879, to Miss Emma E. 
Jackson, who was born and reared in 
Marion county. They have three chil- 
dren living, James J., a resident of ]\Ion- 
roe City, in the adjoining county of Mon- 
roe, and Clara C, of Chillicothe, Mis- 
souri, now ]\Irs. A. M. Shelton, and F. 
Ellison, who is living at home. The 
father stands well in the community and 
throughout his own and the adjoining 
counties. He has been serviceable in the 
progress and development of this ]iart 
of the state, performing with ability and 
uprightness all the duties of citizenship 
and illustrating in a striking manner in 
his daily life the best attributes of an 
elevated American manhood. 

JOHN A. 'DANIEL. 

Descended from good old Maryland 
stock, with the family traits and char- 
acteristics seasoned by the residence of 
a generation in Kentucky, John A. 
'Daniel, of Hunnewell, has within him 
the inspirations and incentives of two 
commonwealths of our common Union 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



■whose histories are glorious in war and 
crowned with immortal bays for their 
achievements in the peaceful ])ursuits 
of industrial effort and the higher walks 
of learning and art. He was born in 
Himnewell, where he is now living, on 
October 6, 1866, and has passed the whole 
of his subsequent life in this community. 

Mr. 'Daniel's grandfather, James 
O 'Daniel, was born, reared and educated 
in Maryland, and soon after attaining his 
majority struck out into the untrodden 
AVest to make a home and a name for 
himself amid scenes yet wholly attuned 
to nature and not yet freed from the 
wild denizens of the wilderness, savage 
beasts and still more sAvage men. He 
located in Kentucky and there hewed out 
from the wilds an estate for himself and 
reared a family whose members have re- 
flected credit on his name and finely ex- 
emplified in their several callings the 
lessons given them by his teachings and 
example. His son, James P. O 'Daniel, 
the father of John A., the immediate sub- 
ject of these paragraphs, was born in 
the Kentucky home in 1834. On leaving 
school he became a farmer on his own 
account, as he had previously been on the 
account of his fatlier by assisting the 
latter in the labors of the homestead, and 
followed the occupation of the old patri- 
archs, tilling the soil, until 1850 in his 
native state. 

Tn 1850 James P. 'Daniel migrated 
to Missouri and located in Monroe coun- 
tj% where he continued his operations as 
a farmer and stock-breeder until 1865. 
He then changed his residence to Shelby 
county, and here he has made his home 
and employed his energies ever since. 
He is still actively engaged in farming 



and raising live stock, and is one of the 
highly respected and most representative 
citizens of the county. He is one of the 
stockholders of the Hunuewell bank. He 
was married in 1865 to Miss Martha 
Leake, of Ralls county, Missouri, and by 
this union became the father of six chil- 
dren of whom John A. was the first born. 
The others are all living and are : Mamie, 
the wife of F. Selsor, of Kansas City, 
Missouri ; Eugene P., a resident of 
Washington, D. C. ; Joseph A., of Hunue- 
well; Eosie Alice, the wife of Augustus 
Gannon, of Brookfield, Linn county, in 
this state; and William F., of Hmmewell. 
In politics the father is a Democrat and 
in religion a Catholic. He is loyal to 
both party and church and stands well 
in each. 

John A. 'Daniel obtained his edu- 
cation in the public schools of Hunne- 
well, and upon the completion of the 
course of study they made available to 
him, became a farmer and stock-breeder, 
occu]iations he had mastered while liv- 
ing at home and working under the 
supervision of his father, with whom he 
was associated in his new operations for 
about three years. Mercantile life was, 
however, more to his taste, and in 1887 
he began a career in the drug business 
which he has continued and expanded 
to this time (1911), being still engaged 
in that necessary and helpful trade in 
connection with other duties. 

On March 15, 1909, he was elected 
cashier of the Hunnewell bank, in which 
he is a stockholder and of which he is 
one of the directors, and in April, 1910. 
was elected iiresident of the bank. He 
gives the re(juirements of the bank his 
fir.st attention and it is flourishing under 



•^:4 



HISTOIJY OF SHELBY COFXTY 



the stimulus of his enterprising and care- 
ful management, growing in jiopular 
favor and steadily enlarging the volume 
of its business. His drug store con- 
tinues to be one of the established in- 
stitutions of the city and holds its pat- 
ronage because of the excellence of its 
stock, the wisdom of its management 
and the skill bestowed upon all its opera- 
tions in its efforts to serve the public. 

In addition to these two lines of en- 
deavor, which would be enough to en- 
gross the faculties of a less comprehen- 
sive and active mind than that of ]\rr. 
'Daniel, he carries on farming opera- 
tions and is still interested in raising 
live stock on an elevated plane. In poli- 
tics he is a Democrat, firm in the faith 
and active in the service, contributing 
to the campaigns of his party both wis- 
dom in council and energy in effort which 
are highly appreciated. His religious 
affiliation is with the Catholic church, of 
which he is a devout and consistent 
member. 

On November 16, 1905. he united in 
marriage with Miss Penelope A. Brown, 
of Shelby county. Two children have 
blessed their union and brightened their 
home, their sons James A. and George 
Eugene. Having passed all his life so 
far in Hunnewell, it is but natural that 
Mr. O'Dauiel should be warmly inter- 
ested in the welfare of tl'.e city and its 
people. He has shown that he is by his 
approval of all worthy ])ublic improve- 
ments and his aid in promoting them, 
and by his zealous and energetic support 
of every moral and intellectual agencv 
at work in the community for its good. 
Among the leaders of enterprise and 
advancement in the town and countv he 



is always to be found, and he is esteemed 
accordingly as one of its best and most 
useful citizens. 

JULIAN A. WHEELER. 

Born in Hunnewell, this county, on 
August 15, 1858, and living practically on 
the border during a part of the Civil 
war and the rest of the time within the 
actual boundaries of the Confederacy, 
Julian A. Wheeler, of Hunnewell, dwelt 
during the period of that awful contest 
'"in the midst of alarms," and had his 
childhood and youth darkened by its 
terrible shadows. In the exacting pur- 
suits of peaceful industry and the strug- 
gles for material conquest and acquisi- 
tion which have engaged his faculties 
since then the memories of the war have 
faded to a considerable extent, but noth- 
ing can ever wholly efface them. They 
were born of a time that tried men's 
souls, and were literally burned into the 
consciousness and recollection of those 
who took part in or were in any sense a 
party to the events of that date. 

Mr. Wheeler's grandfather, Nathan 
W. Wheeler, was a native of New York 
state and a member of one of the noted 
families of that great commonwealth. He 
lived in Otsego county and tilled the soil 
for a livelihood, as his parents had done 
before him, and on his farm he reared 
his family, among them his son, Edwin 
R. Wheeler, who was the father of Julian 
A. and was born in Otsego county. New 
York, on September 14, 1824. He did 
not follow the occupation of his an- 
cestors, but became a carpenter and 
builder, and in an extensive apprentice- 
ship so thoroughly mastered all the de- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



275 



tails of the trade, for which he had a 
natural aptitude, that iu 1857, when he 
was l)nt thirty-three years old, he was 
sent to Missouri to superintend the con- 
struction of railroad stations for the 
Hannibal & St. Joseph railroad. After 
two years of excellent and appreciated 
service to the Hannibal & St. Joseph rail- 
road in the capacity named, he went to 
Beaumont, Texas, and helped to build 
the first railroad in that state. By the 
time the line was completed in 1863 he 
desired a change of occupation and set- 
tled down to farming in }'arker county, 
Texas. 

This was no time, however, for peaceful 
industry in that section of the country. 
The Confederacy was in the last stages 
of its disastrous history, and needed 
every man it could get into the service 
to recruit its failing armies in the tield. 
Mr. Wheeler was a firm and loyal Union 
man and yet was face to face with con- 
scription into the Confederate service. 
So he left his family in Texas and came to 
his old home city of Hunnewell to escape 
the fate that threatened him, and in the 
city last named engaged in the grocery 
trade for a period of six months. But he 
could not rest in seeking his own profit 
while his country was in danger. The 
love of the Union was strong within him 
and lie felt it his duty to make his faith 
practical by helping to defend the cause 
to wliich he was so warmly attached. 
Therefore, in the fall of 1864 he went to 
Quincy, Illinois, and enlisted iu the 
Union army as a member of Comjiany B, 
One Hundred and Fifty-first Illinois Vol- 
unteer Infantry, and was soon afterward 
assigned to the first regiment that fol- 
lowed in the wake of Sherman's march to 



the sea. His company took part in the 
battle of Dalton, Georgia, and many en- 
gagements of less importance. 

At Atlanta, Georgia, he obtained a 
furlough signed by General Sherman au- 
thorizing him to go to Weatherford, 
Texas, and take his family further North. 
In the fall of 1865 he l)ought eight yoke 
of oxen and with them and the rest of 
his equipment, conducted his family into 
Illinois, locating about fourteen miles 
south of Quincy, and being three months 
on the journey. Taking up his residence 
on a farm, he devoted himself to raising 
wheat and live stock for two years. At 
the end of that period he returned to 
the state of New York, where he followed 
contracting and building until 1871. He 
then moved to Titusville, Pennsylvania, 
and during the next two years carried 
on a flourishing business in the same line 
in that then enterprising and progres- 
sive city, to which the great wealth of 
fast flowing oil wells had given enormous 
prosperity and world-wide fame. 

In 1873 he returned to this county and 
again took up his residence in Hunne- 
well, where he devoted the remaining 
years of his strength to contracting and 
building on a large scale. He built the 
first house in Shelbina and put ujd a 
number of the most notable buildings in 
this part of the state, among them the 
Prairie A^iew Baptist church in Jackson 
township. Failing health in 1877 drove 
him out of business and induced him to 
seek recovery amid the blandishments 
of the climate of California. He went to 
Santa Rosa in that state, where he lin- 
gered for a year, dying there on April 
10, 1878. 

]\lr. "Wheeler was twice married. His 



276 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



first wife was Miss Joliauua Steer, a na- 
tive of Connecticut, with whom he was 
united in 1853. They had two children, 
one of whom died in childhood and the 
other after reaching manhood. The sec- 
ond marriage of the father occurred on 
October 10, 1857, when he was united 
with Miss Mary Elizabeth Hickman, of 
this county. They became the parents 
of eight children, three of whom are Uv- 
ing: Julian A., the immediate subject 
of this sketch; "William D., a resident, 
also of Hunnewell; and Lena M.. the 
wife of Herman C. Davis, of Lamar, 
Colorado. The father was a Eepublican 
in politics, a member of the Grand Army 
of the Republic and l)elouged to the Bap- 
tist church. He was highly esteemed and 
his early death was universally deplored. 

Julian A. "Wheeler began his education 
in the public schools of New York state 
and finished it in those of Shelby county. 
After completing his academic training 
he turned his attention to farming and 
raising live stock, in which he was ex- 
tensively engaged until 1898. In that 
year he was appointed postmaster of 
Hunnewell. a position which he has ever 
since filled in a manner that has fully 
satisfied the government and the patrons 
of the office. He still owns and operates 
his farm of 200 acres, and also has a con- 
trolling interest in the Hunnewell tele- 
phone system, in the ownership and man- 
agement of which his brother, "William 
D. AYheeler, is associated with him. In 
addition he owns a block of granitoid 
buildings and a very fine residence. 

In politics ^fr. AYheeler is an ardent 
Eepublican and has considerable influ- 
ence in the councils of his party, in whose 
service he is alwavs active and eflFective. 



His fratei'ual relations are with the In- 
dependent Order of Odd Fellows and the 
Court of Honor, and his church afiilia- 
tion is with the Southern Methodists. He 
is a zealous church worker, taking a lead- 
ing part in all the benevolent and evan- 
gelizing efforts of his congregation, of 
which he is one of the stewai'ds, and 
renders excellent and appreciated serv- 
ice as su^.^erintendent of the Sunday 
school. 

Two generations of this family of 
AYheelers have dignified and adorned 
pul)lic and private life in Hunnewell and 
given its people good examples of high 
character, ardent local and general pa- 
triotism, and fruitful and elevated citi- 
zenship. No name stands higher in the 
annals of the city than its name does, 
and none more truly deserves the esteem 
in which it is held. In business, in social 
and in domestic life its members have 
met every requirement of duty and in of- 
ficial station the one of whom these par- 
agraphs are written has shown ability, 
fidelity and upright manhood of the high- 
est order, greatly to his own credit and 
the substantial welfare of the people of 
the whole community. 

WILLIAM P. JAXES. 

AYilliam P. Janes, one of the prosper- 
ous and progressive farmers of Shelbj' 
county, whose achievements as an agri- 
culturist have given the people aroimd 
him strong lessons as to what skill and 
intelligence allied with industry and 
good .iuflgnient can accomplish on the 
fertile and responsive soil of Missouri, is 
a native of Washington county, Ken- 
tuckv, where he was born on Afarch 10, 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



2?7 



1840, and whence he came to Marion 
county in this state when he was eleven 
years old. 

Mr. Janes is a son of John H. and Re- 
becca (Gibbs) Janes, both born, reared 
and educated in Washington county, 
Kentucky, where the}' were married. 
They were farmers in their native state, 
and after their arrival in ^Missouri, in 
1851, they followed the same line of ef- 
fort on a tract of land of which they be- 
came possessed in Marion county. There 
was a mill on the farm which the father 
also operated until 1879, and which was 
known far and wide during his manage- 
ment of it as a source of great conveni- 
ence and help to the people because of 
the excellent work it did and the superior 
quality of its products. It is still known 
as Janes 's mill, but has passed ovit of 
usefulness into history, being nothing 
now but an old landmark whereby some 
idea of the progress and development of 
the country can be gained, and standing 
in the public eye as a reminder of the 
strenuous days and nights of toil and 
privation, of arduous effort and con- 
stant })eril of the pioneer period of the 
past. 

In 1879 the father sold the farm and 
the mill and took up his residence in 
Shelby county, where he died, having 
done well his part in the life and devel- 
opment of this section and laying down 
his burden crowned with the esteem of 
the whole people. He and his wife were 
tl;e parents of twelve children, six of 
whom are living: James G., a ])rominent 
citizen of Monroe county; Thomas B., 
who lives at Lakenan, in this county; 
John H., whose home is at Cortland, Ne- 
braska; William P., of Hunnewell, the 



immediate subject of this writing; Kath- 
arine, the wife of Benjamin Green, of 
Santa Fe, Missouri ; and Rebecca, now 
]\Irs. George Ruberson, of Marion coun- 
ty, on our eastern border. In politics 
the father was a pronounced Democrat, 
faithful in loyalty to his party and ef- 
fective in its service. His religious affil- 
iation was with the Catholic church, and 
to this also he gave firm and faithful 
support throughout his life, zealous in 
attention to his duties as a member and 
Unswerving in his devotion to its teach- 
ings. 

William P. Janes was reared on his 
father's farm in Marion county and ob- 
tained his education in the district 
schools of the neighborhood. After leav- 
ing school he operated the farm in con- 
nection with his father for a number of 
years, then moved to Hunnewell, where 
he cari'ied on a flourishing business as a 
blacksmith and wagon maker until 1889. 
In that year he sold his business and 
outfit, and again engaged in farming, lo- 
cating on a good farm in Shelby county, 
which he still manages, although prac- 
tically retired from its more exacting 
duties and more arduous labors. 

While living in Hunnewell Mr. Janes 
took an active and serviceable part in 
the public affairs of the city and contrib- 
uted essentially to its growth, develop- 
ment and improvement. He was its first 
mayor and held a number of other city 
offices, all of which he filled acceptably, 
leaving a good record as an official and 
rearing monuments to his enterprise and 
public spirit in substantial contributions 
to the comfort, convenience and advance- 
ment of the people. He was also active, 
and still is, in national politics as a Dem- 



278 



HISTOr.Y OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ocrat of the old school, seeing in the 
principles of his party the best assur- 
ance of public and private security and 
clean and upright government, and 
standing by them as with the tug of 
gravitation. For over forty years he has 
been a member of the Masonic order and 
has studied with zeal and clearness of 
vision the lessons portrayed in the sym- 
bolism of the order, all of which he has 
tried to exemplify in his daily life. His 
religious connection is with the Metho- 
dist Episcopal Church South, in whose 
good works he has long been an active 
and potential factor. 

Mr. Janes has been married twice. His 
first union was with Miss Sarah Mef- 
ford, of Marion county, Missouri, and 
occurred on September 22, 1860. They 
had four children, all of whom are liv- 
ing. They are : Sarah Etta, wife of W. 
B. Thiehoff, of League City, Texas; 
William H., of Paris, Missouri; Vincie 
B., of Cameron City, ^lissouri ; and Lula 
E., wife of Bruce Blackburn, of Los An- 
geles, California. Mr. Janes' second 
marriage took place on May 11, 1881. In 
this he became the husband of Mrs. Eliz- 
al)etli Scratch, the widow of John D. 
Scratch, and a native of Pennsylvania. 
They are the parents of two children, 
both living : Lozetta, wife of William H. 
Jones, of Paris, Missouri; and Mattie, 
wife of James E. Spencer, of Hunne- 
well. Mr. Janes has known Slielby 
county from his childliood and has lived 
in it for more than a generation of 
human life. He is a living witness of its 
progress and also of the struggles and 
trials through which the advance has 
been won. He has borne his full share 
of the burden incident to the develop- 



ment of the countiy and is therefore fully 
entitled to enjoy the fruits of the labors 
he has shared with others in this behalf. 
The people accord him this right with- 
out stint, regarding him as one of their 
most useful and representative citizens. 

JOHN W. LAIE. 

The interesting subject of this brief 
review, who has been one of the most 
successful and enterprising farmers in 
Shelby county, has passed the whole of 
his life until the summer of 1910, at 
which time he moved to Gordon, Nebras- 
ka. He was born in Shelby county on 
March 18, 1846, and is a son of Eobert 
and Elizabeth (Culberson) Lair, the for- 
mer a native of Kentucky and the latter 
of North Carolina. 

The father's life began in 1810, and he 
became a resident of Missouri in 1828, 
coming to the state as a youth of eight- 
een with his parents, who followed the 
example given tliem by their parents and 
emigrated from their native heath to the 
farther west when it was a part of the 
almost untrodden wilderness of our wide 
domain. The paternal grandfather of 
Mr. Lair, William Lair, was a native of 
Pennsylvania and became a resident of 
Kentucky when he was a young man, 
striding boldly into the wilds in the wake 
of that hardy adventurer, discoverer and 
civilizer, Daniel Boone, and taking up 
his part in the work of improvement in 
the region that great man and his fol- 
lowers were wresting from the dominion 
of the wikl forces of nature and their 
offspring of the jilains and the forest. 
In Kentucky he transformed a tract of 
wild land into a good farm and on it he 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



279 



I'eared liis family, but finally left the 
woi-n and wasted tenement of his ad- 
venturous spirit to be laid at rest in the 
soil of a newer state. He brought his 
family to Missouri in 1828, and again 
gave himself up to the demands and 
dangers of the frontier, repeating in 
Missouri what he had achieved in Ken- 
tucky. 

A few years after his arrival in this 
state Robert Lair located in Shelby coun- 
ty and started farming and raising stock 
on his own account. To these lines of in- 
dustry he adhered until his death in 
188-4. He married Miss Elizabeth Cul- 
berson, a native of North Carolina, and 
they became the parents of six children. 
Of these three are living: Mary, wife of 
George Latimor of Shelby county ; John 
"W. of Shelbina, who is the subject of this 
review; and Frances Marion, wife of 
George Bowers, of Shelbyville. In poli- 
tics the father was a Eepublican from 
the birth of the party to his death, stand- 
ing by its principles throiigh all changes 
of conditions and firmly supporting 
them and its candidates in all cam- 
paigns. 

John W. Lair was reared on his fath- 
er's farm and obtained his education in 
the district schools of the vicinity. His 
natural bent was to farming and he 
yielded to it without murmur or hesita- 
tion, assuming charge of the parental 
homestead when he left school, and con- 
ducting its operations until 1870. He 
then bought a farm of his own and gave 
himself up wholly to its cultivation and 
improvement. His success was such as 
to inspire him to more ambitious efl'orts, 
and he became a dealer in farm lands, 
buying them, improving them and then 



selling them, his operations working 
greatly to his own profit and equally to 
the advantage of the county and its peo- 
ple. He has also been long engaged in 
raising stock on an extensive scale and 
has for years been ranked among the 
leading shippers in this part of the state. 
In all his undertakings he has been very 
successful, and furnishes an impressive 
examjjle of what good judgment and en- 
terprise in the use of opportunities is 
capable of in this land of boundless 
chances and this state of rapid progress 
and development. 

Like his father, Mr. Lair has given his 
faith, loyalty and support to the princi- 
ples of the Republican party in national 
politics. But in local affairs his first 
consideration has been the enduring wel- 
fare of the county and its people without 
regard to partisanship or personal rela- 
tions. He has been of great service in 
promoting that welfare and is esteemed 
on all sides as one of the most useful 
citizens of the county and one of its 
most worthy and representative men. 

On December 25, 1869, he was united 
in marriage with Miss Margaret Wilson, 
of this county. They have had seven 
children and have five living: Myrtle, 
wife of Nathan Cochran, of Gordon, Ne- 
braska; Ella, wife of Howell Jewett; 
Maude, wife of Dr. John Hendricks, of 
St. Louis; William, one of the prosper- 
ous and influential citizens of Shelby 
county ; and Bonnie Jean, wife of Brooks 
Corwine, of Shelbina. These all, in their 
several localities, are exemplifying the 
family traits of enterprise, thrift and in- 
telligent devotion to duty, and have won 
the regard and good will of all who know 
them. 



280 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Although the father has passed his 
three score years and lived a very in- 
dustrious and exacting hfe, he is still 
vigorous and energetic, and as eager for 
any new undertaking for the good of the 
county, whether by private or public 
forces, as he ever was, and is as willing 
to undergo exertion as younger men, with 
the assurance that his efforts will be as 
fruitful as those of any. He is an ex- 
ample to all, active himself and of great 
servicfe through the activities he awakens 
and stimulates in others. 

JAMES A. McATEE. 

Now and for many years one of the 
leading- business men of Hunnewell, and 
held in the highest esteem throughout 
the surrounding country, in this and ad- 
jacent counties, James A. McAfee went 
through a variety of trying experiences 
before he settled down to the interesting 
and useful life of trade with which he 
has been connected for nearly a third of 
a century. He was born in the old colo- 
nial city of Georgetown, in the District 
of Columbia, on December 30, 1849, and 
lived for a number of years in that then 
antique settlement which, as a suburb 
of the new capital of the country had an 
importance all its own. The conditions 
of travel and the surrounding countiy at 
the time made it remote from the capital, 
but still near enough to catch some re- 
flection from that enterprising and am- 
bitious municipality, especially as it was 
the residence of men eminent in the civil, 
military and naval life of that period of 
our country's history. 

While it may not be a fair deduction 
to assume that Mr. McAtee's spirit of 



patriotism was quickened and intensified 
by the suggestions and associations of 
his boyhood in the old town which still 
bears the name of the last English king 
that had dominion over this countrj' or 
any part of it, although it has for years 
l)een a part of the city of Washington, it 
is a fact that he has at every period of 
his life manifested a very warm interest 
in the welfare of his country and done 
all he could, with the light he has had, to 
inomote that welfare. Living and flour- 
ishing on the plains of the great West, he 
has been able to take in the feelings and 
aspirations of the East and regard our 
nationality with a sweep of vision that 
reviewed every part of the country and 
looked upon all sections as equally im- 
portant. 

Mr. McAtee is a son of Samuel I. and 
Annie (Kidwell) McAtee. the former a 
native of Marion county, Kentucky, and 
the latter of the state of Maryland. The 
father came to Missouri in 1852 and 
liought farms in Lincoln and Ralls coun- 
ties, which he farmed for a few years. 
He then became a grocer in New London, 
Ralls county, and continued in business 
as such until the breaking out of the 
Civil war, when he sold his business and 
retired to a farm just outside the limits 
of New London. The portion of the 
state in which he lived was torn by dis- 
sension during the war, both sides to the 
great sectional confhet laying it under 
tribute and harassing its people. By 
1864 the atmosphere of sectional con- 
troversy became so hot that the family 
moved to IMonroe in that year, and there 
the father again entered the grocery 
trade, continuing his operations in this 
lino until 1867. He then took up his resi- 





HON. JAMES T. LLOYD 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



281 



clence in Hunnewell and retired from 
active pursuits altogether. For many 
years he served the several communities 
in which he lived as a justice of the 
peace, and was still in office at the time 
of his death, in ahout 1903. 

The elder Mr. McAtee was married to 
Miss Annie Kidwell, a native of Mary- 
land. They had ten children, seven of 
whom are living: Frank, who lives in 
Portland, Oregon; Rose, widow of the 
late P. J. ThiehofiP^ who resides in Him- 
newell ; Joseph, a prominent citizen of 
Hannibal, Missouri ; James A., of Hun- 
newell, the immediate subject of these 
paragraphs; S. S., whose home is in Los 
Angeles, California; W. N., of Kansas 
City, Missouri; and Agnes, the wife of 
James Willett, of Hannibal. The father 
was a devout Catholic in religion and an 
ardent Democrat in politics. 

James A. McAtee obtained his educa- 
tion in the public schools of Hannibal 
and New London, Missouri. After leav- 
ing school he worked in the grocery store 
of his father, and when he left that es- 
tablishment he started to learn the trade 
of buggy making. He served his appren- 
ticeship faithfully and mastered the 
trade, then went forth to work at it on 
his own account, which he did at various 
l^laces during the next four years. In 
1887 he started an enterprise in black- 
smithing and wagon making which he 
carried on for thirty years, conducting 
in connection with the other departments 
of the undertaking an extensive trade in 
farming implements. At the end of the 
period mentioned he sold the black- 
smithing and wagon business and outfit 
and since then he has devoted himself 
exclusively to his trade in implements. 



He has been zealous and intelligently 
active in all efforts to promote the 
growth and development of the city, the 
comfort and convenience of its people 
and the power and fruitfulness of all its 
moral and mental agencies for good. He 
has also helped to keep the good name 
of its business men at a high position by 
giving an example of entire uprightness 
and fairness in all his dealings and by 
being square and manly in all the rela- 
tions of life. He is a stockholder in the 
Farmers and Merchants' Bank of Hun- 
newell and connected with other institu- 
tions of a helpful and stimulating char- 
acter. In politics he is a Democrat and 
in religion a firm and faithful Catholic. 

On December 28, 1878, he was married 
to Miss Celia Shearer, of Monroe coun- 
ty, in this state. Of the eight children 
born to them seven are li\'ing: Samuel 
C, who lives at Lamar, Colorado; Roy, 
a resident of Washington; Maud, the 
wife of John Woods, of Kansas City, 
Missouri ; Lyda, the wife of A. L. 
Vaughn, of Huimewell ; Ruth, who is liv- 
ing at home; Carl, whose home is at 
Kansas City, Missouri; and Lottie, who 
is also a member of the parental house- 
hold. 

HON. JAMES T. LLOYD. 

James T. Lloyd, present representa- 
tive of the First district of Missouri in 
the United States congress, is one of the 
distinguished members of the bar of his 
native state and has been engaged in the 
]iractice of his profession in Shelbyvillo 
for more than a quarter of a century, 
though he has not given close attention 
to his ]irofession since he assumed the 



282 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



duties of his office in congress, of which 
he has been a member since 1897, and in 
which he has most ably and acceptably 
represented and safeguarded the inter- 
ests of his home state. He is known as a 
lawyer of high attainments, as a man of 
progressive ideas and mature judgment, 
and is ably upholding the prestige of his 
native commonwealth, which has sent 
many able and distinguished citizens to 
the national legislature. He is insist- 
ently loyal to his native state, whose in- 
terests he has made his own in a signifi- 
cant way, and this is shown by the high 
official prefennent which has been given 
him through popular franchise. 

Mr. Lloyd, as the name implies, is a 
scion of staunch Welsh stock, but the 
family was founded in America in the 
Colonial epoch of our national history, 
having early been established in Penn- 
sylvania. His grandfather, Zach Lloyd, 
who was born in Delaware, figures as the 
founder of the family in the state of ^lis- 
souri. This worthy ancestor became one 
of the pioneer settlers of Lewis county, 
this state, where he continued to main- 
tain his home until his death. He was a 
man of force and ability, strong in his 
individuality and of impregnable integ- 
rity, thus possessing the staunch timber 
that well fits into pioneer life and labor. 
His son Jerry, father of the present con- 
gressman, was born in the state of Dela- 
ware, on the 3d of July, 1826, and was 
there reared to maturity, receiving a 
good common school education and 
learning in his youth the trade of cooper. 
As a young man he accomjianied his hon- 
ored father on the family emigration 
to ^lissouri, and for some time he fol- 
lowed the work of his trade in Lewis 



county, after which he turned his atten- 
tion to faiTuing and stock growing, in 
connection with which he gained a large 
and generous measure of success, becom- 
ing one of the representative agricultur- 
ists of Lewis county, where he owned a 
fine landed estate of 200 acres. He re- 
sided on this homestead and gave his at- 
tention to its supervision from 1860 un- 
til 1887, when he retired from active la- 
bors and removed to the village of Clar- 
ence, Shelby county, where he passed the 
residue of his life, secure in the high re- 
gard of all who knew him and known as 
a man devoted to all that is best in con- 
nection with human thought, motive and 
action. He was sunuuoned to the life 
eternal on the 17th of September, 1897, 
at the age of seventy years, and his loved 
and devoted wife still survives him, 
maintaining her home in the family 
homestead and being held in affectionate 
regard by all who have come within the 
sphere of her gentle and gracious in- 
fluence. She is a devoted member of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, South, as 
was also her husband, and in politics he 
was ever aligned as a staunch advocate 
of the generic principles for which the 
Democratic party stands sponsor. The 
old homestead farm, one of the best in 
this favored section of the state, is still 
owned by the family and is in charge of 
the youngest son, Frisbie Lee Lloyd. 

In January, 1856, was solemnized the 
marriage of Jerry Lloyd to ^liss Frances 
Jones, who was boi'n in the state of Ken- 
tucky on the ."^d of ]\Iarch, 1827, being a 
daughter of "William Jones, who removed 
from that state to Missouri in 1829, when 
she was but two years of age. The fam- 
ilv settled in the vicinitv of Emerson, 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



283 



Marion county, and Mrs. Lloyd has lived 
within a distance of fifty miles of the old 
homestead during the entire course of 
her life since that time. She is one of 
the venerable pioneer women of the state 
and retains in a remarkable way her 
mental and physical faculties. Jerry 
and Frances (Jones) Lloyd became the 
parents of three children, all of whom 
are living- — James T., the immediate sub- 
ject of this review; Samuel R., of Kirks- 
ville, this state, and Frisbie L., in charge 
of the old home farm. The honored 
father was for many years affiliated with 
the Masonic fraternity, of whose noble 
ideals and works he was deeph' appre- 
ciative. 

James T. Lloyd passed his boyhood 
and youth on the home farm, having 
been three years of age at the time of the 
family removal thereto from his native 
town of Canton, Lewis coimty, Missouri, 
where he was born on the 28th of August, 
1857. He gained his prehminary educa- 
tion in the district schools and through 
study at home, and finally he was matric- 
ulated in Christian University, at Can- 
ton, his native town, in which institution 
he completed the prescribed four years' 
course and was graduated as a member 
of the class of 1878, with the degree of 
Bachelor of Science. Wliile still an un- 
dergraduate he gave his attention to 
teaching in the public schools at inter- 
vals, principally during his college vaca- 
tions, and after leaving the university he 
continued to follow the work of the peda- 
gogic profession imtil 1881, meeting with 
marked success and having held the po- 
sition of superintendent of the public 
schools of his native town of Canton, 
thus nullifying the application of the 



scriptural aphorism that "a prophet is 
not without honor save in his own coun- 
try.", For two years he served as deputy 
sheritf of Lewis county, and in 1881 he 
was chosen deputy circuit clerk and re- 
corder for that county, and in that posi- 
tion remained for two years. During the 
time he was engaged in teaching and 
also while serving as a county official Mr. 
Lloyd prosecuted the study of law with 
marked earnestness and under effective 
preceptorship, thoroughly grounding 
himself in the science of jurisprudence 
and in due time proving his eligibility for 
membership in the bar, to which he was 
admitted at Edina, Knox county, in 1882. 
J\Ir. Lloyd initiated the practice of his 
chosen profession by opening an office at 
Monticello, Lewis county, this state, in 
1883, and there he was associated in 
practice with Oliver C. Clay, under the 
firm name of Clay & Lloyd, until March, 
1885, when the alliance was dissolved and 
he forthwith removed to Shelbyville, 
which city has since represented his 
home and the center of his work in his 
profession, which he has sigTially digni- 
fied by his abilities and services. He 
gained marked distinction as an able and 
versatile trial lawyer and well fortified 
counselor, and he has not only appeared 
in connection with much important litiga- 
tion in the state and federal courts, but 
has retained a clientele of essentially 
representative character. He gave his 
undivided attention to the work of his 
profession until 1897, in June of which 
year he was elected to congress as repre- 
sentative of the First congressional di.s- 
trict of Missouri. In this high office he 
has since continued to serve by succes- 
sive re-election, and the voters of his dis- 



284 



HISTORY OF STIEI.BY COUNTY 



triet have thus given positive and em- 
phatic endorsement of his course and 
services in congress, where he has .shown 
naught of the elements of obscurity or 
apathy, but has ably and forcefully 
championed causes which he believed 
right and where he has also been influen- 
tial in the councils of the committee 
room. His effective labors in congi'ess 
have been a matter of newspaper and 
official record, and it is not necessary to 
enter into details concerning the same in 
this article. Mr. Lloyd served as prose- 
cuting attorney of Shelby county from 
January, 1889, until January, 1893, and 
in this office he greatly heightened his 
fame as a successful trial lawyer. He is 
aligned as a staunch supporter of the 
cau.se of the Democratic party and has 
been an effective exponent of its princi- 
ples and policies, especially as a cam- 
paigTi speaker, in which connection his 
services have been much in reciuisition. 
He has .shown loyal interest in all that 
had touched the civic and material wel- 
fare of his home city, county and state, 
and is a progressive, liberal and public- 
spirited citizen. He was one of the oi'- 
ganizers and incoporators of the Citi- 
zens' Bank of Shelbyville, was its first 
vice-president and is still a member of its 
directorate. A brief sketch concerning 
the bank is given on other pages of this 
work. He was also one of the original 
stockholders of the Shelby Coufity Rail- 
road company. 

Mr. Lloyd is affiliated with the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the 
Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent and 
Protective Order of Elks and the Modern 
Woodmen of America ; he is a member of 
the ^lethodist Episcopal Church, South, 



with which he has thus been identified 
from his boyhood days. He was a dele- 
gate to the general conference of that 
church in 1894. 

On the 1st of March, 1881, was solemn- 
ized the marriage of Mr. Lloyd to Miss 
Mary B. Graves, who was born and 
reared in Lewis county, Missouri, and 
who is a daughter of Thomas A. Graves, 
an honored ^ind influential citizen of that 
county. Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd became the 
parents of four children, of whom three 
are living. There names are here en- 
tered in order of their birth: Oliver J., 
Thomas L. and Ethel Lee. 

ANDEEW J. S:\riTH. 

Fifty-five of the eighty-one years of 
life already vouchsafed to this venerable 
"Father in Israel" have been passed in 
Missouri and forty-four of them in 
Slielby county, in the productive indus- 
tries of which he was engaged as an im- 
portant factor for moi-e than thirty 
years. He is now living retired in Hun- 
newell, universally respected and es- 
teemed and enjoying in vigor and the 
full activity of his faculties the rest he 
has so richly earned. Wliile his years 
have been occujued almost wholly in 
peaceful and inii)roving pursuits, such 
as minister to the comfort, convenience 
and general welfare of the people, he 
has not hesitated to bear his portion of 
the hardships and face his share of the 
dangers of war whenever duty called 
him to the field of conflict. 

^Ir. Smith was born on August 1, 1828, 
in Oswego county. New York, where his 
parents were then living. They were 
Abel and Veneria (Parker) Smith, also 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



'285 



natives of the state of New York, within 
whose borders they i)assed the whole of 
their lives. The father learned the trade 
of a cabinet maker in his youth, and at 
this useful craft, which is productive of 
many of the convenient and some of the 
most, beautiful and artistic articles of 
furniture in household and office use, he 
wrought diligently and with fair profit 
imtil his death in 1853. Of the seven 
children born in the household the in- 
teresting subject of these brief ]iara- 
gra])hs of biographical notice is the only 
one now living. The father was a Demo- 
crat in political allegiance and a Baptist 
in religious faith. 

Andrew J. Smith had no facilities for 
advanced education. He was born, at a 
time when every agency of the home was 
required to keep it going, and was there- 
fore obliged to take his place among the 
workers of the family as soon as he was 
old enough. He did, however, obtain a 
good common school education, and on 
this basis he built up, by subsequent 
reading and observation throughout his 
long and fruitful experience, a consider- 
able suijerstructure of general informa- 
tion. In the time of his school days the 
family was living in Chautauqua county. 
New Y^ork, and it was in the district 
schools of that now famous source of in- 
tellectual ins]uration that he acquired 
his scholastic training. 

After leaving school he became ap- 
prenticed to a carriage and wagon 
maker, and he gave attention to his trade 
of a kind and for a length of time that 
made him a thorough master of it. In 
1854, following the course of empire 
westward, he came to Missouri and lo- 
caiod in ^Marion conntv. where he oi)er- 



ated a saw mill until 1861. When the 
cloud of civil war that had been hovering 
so long in the American political skj' 
burst with all its fury upon our unhappy 
country, he promptly obeyed the call for 
volunteers to defend the integrity of the 
Union and enlisted in the Northern 
army as a member of Company K, Sec- 
ond Missouri Cavalry, the regiment be- 
coming later a part of the division of the 
army commanded by General McNeill. 

Mr. Smith was assigned to scout duty, 
one of the most hazardous and trying de- 
partments of military service and one 
requiring tireless energy, quickness of 
perception and good judgment. In this 
department he passed the greater part 
of his time during the war, but he also 
participated in a number of important 
engagements, among them the battles of 
Springfield, Cape Girardeau, Chalk 
Bluff and Bloomfield. He was mustered 
out of the service in 1866 at Port Leav- 
enworth, Kansas. He also saw much 
service in fighting the Indians in Colo- 
rado, New Mexico, Kansas and Ne- 
braska. He made a good record in the 
Civil war, as he did in his other military 
service, and as he has done in everything 
he has undertaken. 

On his return from the army in 1866 
he engaged in farming for one year, then 
again turned his attention to his former 
occui^ation of milling, taking up his resi- 
dence in Shelby county for the purpose, 
and carrying it on extensively here until 
he retired from all active pursuits in 
1907. In the public affairs of the com- 
munity of his home Mr. Smith has al- 
ways taken an active and intelligent in- 
tei-est and a ]irominent part. Every 
worthy enterprise for advancement and 



286 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



imijrovement has commanded his zeal- 
ous aid, every local interest his close and 
careful attention. He served efficiently 
and acceptably as mayor of Hunnewell 
for four years, although he had never 
before sought or desired public office. 
For this position he seemed so well qual- 
ified that he was chosen against his will, 
but did a good citizen's part in yielding 
to the desire of the people by accepting 
it and discharging his official duties to 
the best of his ability. 

In national politics j\Ir. Smith is a Re- 
publican and in religious attachment he 
was reared a Baptist. But he now leans 
to the Christian church, which is the one 
his wife belongs to. She was born on 
August 14, 1829, and is still living in vig- 
orous health. They were married on 
February 22, 1850, and have had four 
children. Two of these are living: Del- 
ma, the wife of Robert Dunlap, of Hun- 
newell, and Pearl, the wife of J. J. John- 
son, of Victoria, Texas. Mrs. Smith, 
whose maiden name was Susan Salmon, 
was bom and reared in Pennsylvania, 
where her ancestors were long resident, 
and in various ways contributed to the 
growth, development and general wel- 
fare of the commonwealth. 

Mr. Smith, by the products of his mills, 
has been of great service to the general 
improvement of the county and state in 
aiding in the work of constructing many 
public utilities of great value, chief 
among them, perhaps, the Hannibal & 
St. Joseph Railroad, for which he sawed 
a large part of the lumber required for 
cars, ties, bridges and turn tables. By 
the same means he has helped materially 
to promote the convenience, prosperity 
and comfort of the people, providing ma- 



terials for their dwellings and other 
structures of necessity, in the towns and 
on the farms. And by his sterling in- 
tegrity and elevated citizenship, he has 
also aided in the general advancement 
through his own activity the forces he 
has put in motion in others, and the in- 
fluence of his excellent example, which 
has been effective both as a stimulus and 
a restraint among this people. In times 
of peace his industry has been produc- 
tive. When war called men to arms in 
defense of their convictions he became a 
valiant soldier, and did his whole duty 
to the side he espoused, shirking no 
claim upon his services and shrinking 
from no danger. Wielding the sword 
effectually when duty placed it in his 
hands, he has still ever been a man of 
peace, and during the whole of his long 
life has never been a party to any law 
suit, complainant or defendant. He and 
his estimable wife stand high in the re- 
gard of the whole people and deserve the 
universal esteem in which they are held. 

ROBERT H. DUNLAP. 

Born, reared and educated in that hive 
of industry, Pennsylvania, in whose mul- 
tiform activities almost every occupa- 
tion that engages the energies of men is 
embraced, Robert H. Dunlap, of Hunne- 
well, has well illustrated on the soil of 
^Missouri the sterling qualities of enter- 
prise, resourcefulness and all command- 
ing potency that distinguish the people 
of that mighty commonwealth and have 
made it one of the leading states of the 
country. His life began in Butler coun- 
ty, of that state, on September 20, 1849, 
and he represents the third generation 



ITTSTOItY OF SHELBY COITXTY 



287 



of his family living in that section of the 
state. His grandfatlier, John Duulap, 
came over from Ireland and located 
there in his early manhood, and there 
the family has dwelt ever since, aiding 
in the development of the state's re- 
sources in various lines of life, living ac- 
ceptabh", working industriously and in 
every way doing the best thej' could to 
advance their own interests and promote 
those of the people dwelling around 
them. 

Robert H. Dunlap was reared in his 
native county and obtained his education 
in its district schools. His life as a boy 
and youth were passed on his father's 
farm, and after completing his education 
and assisting his father in the farm work 
until he was eighteen, he left his native 
heath and turned his face to the great 
West as the scene of his future activity 
and achievements. He arrived in Mis- 
souri in July, 1869, and during the next 
two years worked with his cousins on 
their farm in this county. On October 
10, 1871, he was married to Miss Delma 
C. Smith, of Hunnewell, a daughter of 
Andrew J. and Susan (Salmon) Smith, 
an account of whose lives will be found 
on other pages of this work. He then 
took up his residence in Hunnewell, and 
here he has been living ever since, except 
during two years, when he resided in 
Hannibal and worked in a saw mill. 

After locating in Hunnewell Mr. Dun- 
lap turned his attention to milling. This 
lias been his occupation during the whole 
of his subsequent years, and he has 
earned his success and ^irominence as a 
mill man by close attention to his busi- 
ness, a thorough knowledge of all its re- 
quirements and a masterful energy in 



conducting its operations. His contribu- 
tions to the industrial and commercial 
development of this section of the state 
have been extensive and are highly ap- 
preciated, and his aid in promoting the 
building of homes and other improve- 
ments for the enjoyment of domestic life 
has also been considerable and is valued 
by the people to whose welfare it has 
ministered. 

In the public affairs of the community 
he has long been one of the prime movers 
and most esteemed leaders, giving help- 
ful attention to every public need and 
directing provision for all with judicious 
liberality, wise coimsel and the stimulus 
of his excellent example. In religious 
faith he was reared as a Presbyterian, 
but for a number of years he has not 
taken a prominent part in the affairs of 
the church. His fraternal connection is 
with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
lows. In this excellent benevolent so- 
ciety he has been very active and holds 
deserved eminence, having passed 
through all the offices in his lodge, shown 
earnestness and zeal in behalf of the 
higher bodies of the order, and looked 
after its welfare in every way. His off- 
spring numbers five, four of whom are 
living. They are: Charles Arthur, of 
Macon City, Missouri ; A. B., of Hunne- 
well (see sketch of him elsewhere in this 
volume) ; Ernest C, of Cameron Junc- 
tion, Missouri; and Goldie V., the wife 
of James Howe, of this county. In their 
several stations and localities they are 
all doing well and showing in their daily 
lives all the domestic, social and public 
virtues that digiiify and adorn American 
citizenship of the sterling and most serv- 
iceable kind. 



288 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



Robert H. Diinlap is a son of Robert 
and Isabella (Hutchinson) Dunlap, both 
born, reared and educated in Pennsyl- 
vania, and jjassing" the whole of their 
lives among its people. They were use- 
ful and esteemed citizens of the state, in- 
dustrious and frugal, and heljiful in all 
that aided in the promotion of the sub- 
stantial good of the community in which 
they lived. And when they passed over 
to the activities that know no weariness, 
their remains were laid to rest in the 
soil their labors had hallowed. The 
father was born and reared in Mercer 
county and followed farming all his life. 
He found a dejiosit of coal on his farm 
and became interested in coal mining in 
connection with his farming operations, 
making both ])rofitable by industry and 
good business capacity. He and his wife 
were the parents of six children, four of 
whom are living: William P., of Butler 
county, Pennsylvania; Martha Jane, the 
wife of J. W. Everett, of Parker's Land- 
ing, in that state; and Robert H., the 
widely popular subject of this memoir, 
and Lewis M., of Grove City, Pennsyl- 
vania. 

MATTHEW M. COX. 

For a full quarter of a century Mat- 
thew M. Cox, of Hunnewell, has been 
connected with the mercantile life of 
that city, and during that period has 
risen from a very subordinate position 
in his line of effort to one of leadership, 
making the ascent by sheer merit and 
business capacity. He was born in our 
sister county of Monroe on March 15, 
1861, and is a son of Samuel H. and 
Mary F. (Lasl^y) Cox, lioth of whom 
were born in Virginia, where their an- 



cestors had lived and contributed to the 
welfare of the commonwealth for gener- 
ations, the paternal grandfather, James 
A. Cox, having been an extensive planter 
and leading citizen in his part of the 
state, and later having followed the same 
pursuit and occupied a similar social and 
political rank of influence in Missouri. 

The father of Mr. Cox came with his 
parents to this state in 1834, when he was 
but eight years old. He took his place 
in the wild life of the frontier as it was 
then and grew to manhood on his fath- 
er's farm, which he helped to redeeiii 
from the wilderness and build up into 
fruitfulness and beauty, and secured 
what education he could in the district 
schools of the neighborhood. This was 
limited at the best, for the schools were 
]irimitive in appointments and course of 
instruction, and even such as they were 
he was able to attend them only during 
the winter months and then irregularly. 
After leaving school he turned his atten- 
tion to farming and raising stock, in 
which he was engaged until 1888. He 
then quit farming and entered mercan- 
tile life in Hunnewell in partnership 
with his son, the firm name being S. H. 
Cox & Son. As a member of this firm he 
continued mei-chandising iintil his death, 
on February 19, 1898. 

The father was married on November 
7, 1857, to Miss Mary F. Lasley. They 
had five children, all of whom are living: 
James AV., of Quincy, Illinois ; Willie C, 
the wife of the late W. C. Blackliurn, of 
Shelbina; Charles T. and Matthew M.,of 
TTiiiinewell; and Alwilda, (he wife of W. 
A. Vance, of Shelbina. In politics the 
father was a pronounced and unwaver- 
ing Democrat, and in church relations 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



289 



was allied with the Southern Methodists. 
He was serviceable to his party and took 
a warm and helpful interest in all the 
good works of his church. In all the re- 
lations of life he bore himself with man- 
liness and uprightness, and on all sides 
he was esteemed as an excellent citizen, 
a good business man and a worthy repre- 
sentative of the best elements of the pop- 
ulation of the county. 

Matthew M. Cox grew to manhood on 
his father's farm in Monroe county, and, 
like most of the offspring of the plains, 
obtained his education in the public 
schools. After leaving school he re- 
mained with his parents and assisted 
them in the work of the farm until 1884, 
when he took a position as a clerk in a 
Huunewell dry goods store belonging to 
an older brother. In November, 1885, 
he formed a jjartnership with W. C. 
Blackburn and together they started a 
grocery and grain business under the 
firm name of Blackburn & Cox. Mr. Cox 
has remained with this establishment 
thi'ough many changes in the firm and 
has at length become a stockholder in the 
co-operative concern known as the Hun- 
uewell Mercantile Company, with which 
he is still actively connected. 

From the dawn of his manhood he has 
taken an active and serviceable part in 
all matters of public improvement and 
helped to promote the usefulness of all 
moral and intellectual agencies at work 
in the community. He served as a mem- 
ber of the school board four years, and 
in many other ways has given the people 
around him the benefit of his enterprise 
and public sj^irit and tlie stimulus of his 
excellent example as a citizen. In poli- 
tics he is a firm and faithful Democrat, 



loyal to his party and serviceable in all 
its campaigns. For many years he has 
been a leading member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, South, and taken an 
active part in its work. 

Mr.. Cox was married in 1888 to Miss 
Anna M. Balliet, of Hunnewell. All of 
their six children are living. They are : 
Callie L., Pauline, Willie M., Henry Hol- 
lis, Pearl V. and Thomas Jay. They all 
live at home and contribute greatly 
toward making the household a popular 
resort for their hosts of friends and one 
of the social centers of the city. The 
father has helped to elevate and keep up 
the standard of the business life of the 
community by fair dealing and strict in- 
tegrity in all his transactions. He has 
given light, animation and proper stim- 
ulus to its social activities, and he has 
been one of the prime factors in pro- 
moting its public interests and giving 
the spirit of improvement among its 
people proper trend and restraint. He 
stands high in the esteem of the whole 
county and well deserves the regard and 
good will bestowed upon him by all 
classes of its citizens. 

CHARLES T. COX. 

This leading business man and emi- 
nent citizen of Hunnewell is a brother of 
Matthew M. Cox, a sketch of whom, con- 
taining the family history, will be found 
elsewhere in this work. He was born in 
Monroe county, Missouri, on June 20,. 
18.59, and is a son of Samuel H. and Mary 
F. (Lasley) Cox, natives of Virginia and 
early settlers in Missouri. His educa- 
tion was obtained in the public schools in 
the neighborhood of his father's farm in 



290 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Monroe county, on which he lived until 
1879. He was then twenty years old, but 
felt impelled by a strong sense of duty 
to take up the battles of life for himself, 
and in obedience to this feeling he took 
up his residence in Hunuewell, deter- 
mined to make his own way in the world 
without waiting for fortune to smile on 
him or circumstances to favor his aspi- 
ration. 

For eight years thereafter he hauled 
lumber in connection with AV. C. Black- 
burn, encountering the rage of the ele- 
ments on many occasions and cheerfully 
enduring all the hardships incident to 
his occupation. He made the business 
pay and took good care of his earnings, 
showing then, as he has shown ever since, 
a commendable frugality and thrift in 
connection with his admirable industry. 
In 1887 he gave up the line of effort in 
which he had been successfully engaged 
for eight years and returned to the fam- 
ily homestead, on which he carried on ex- 
tensive operations in fanning and rais- 
ing live stock during the next nine years. 

Neither teaming nor farming was ex- 
actly suited to his taste, however, and so, 
in 1898, he gave the impulses within him 
free rein and followed their demands by 
moving to Hunnewell and engaging in 
mercantile life. To this end he bought 
the interest of C. L. Landrum in the gro- 
cery business of which his brother Mat- 
thew was a partner. They conducted the 
business together until 1902, when their 
establishment became a part of the co- 
operative concern known to the world 
as the Hunnewell ^lercantile Company, 
in which he is still one of the leading fac- 
tors. His business life among this peo- 
ple has been successful in a material way, 



but it has been more. It has helped to 
hold up the good name of the mercantile 
interests of the city to credit and high 
standing in the business world all around 
the town and throughout a large extent 
of the surroimding country, and has 
given an example in mercantile life 
worthy of all imitation because of its up- 
rightness, enterprise and real manliness 
without regard to circmustances. 

Mr. Cox has also been active and ser- 
viceable in the public affairs of the com- 
munity. He has ever shown a cordial 
and intelligent interest in the welfare of 
the community aod intense activity in 
promoting it. No move for the substan- 
tial and enduring good of the city has 
lacked the aid of his energetic mind or 
the directing force of his skillful hand, 
and the people aj^preeiate his services 
in their behalf as those of one of their 
leading and most intelligent citizens. He 
is now serving them well as one of the 
aldermen of the city, a position in which 
his loyalty to the communitj' and devo- I 
tion to its lasting good have full scope ' 
for exercise to the advantage of the 
municipality and all the people living 
within its limits. 

On December 20, 1879, Mr. Cox was 
joined in marriage with Miss Lillie Jane 
Davis, of Hunnewell. They have had six 
childi-en and all of them are living. They 
are: Nellie Leone, the wife of Thomas 
Hawkins, of Shelbina ; Ethel, the wife of 
Samuel Haskett, of this county ; Samuel 
C, a resident of Hunnewell; Elizabeth, i 
now ^Irs. J. C. ]\raupin, of Enterprise, 
Shelby county; John IT. and Edward, 
both living at home. In politics the 
father is a Democrat. In fraternal life 
he is connected with the ^fodern AVood- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



291 



men of America and iu religious affilia- 
tion he is allied with the IMethodist Epis- 
copal Church, South, in which he is an 
active and zealous worker. 

On the soil of Missouri and amid its 
mercantile interests Mr. Cox has exem- 
plified the traits of chax-acter and ele- 
ments of elevated manhood that gave his 
ancestors prominence and influence in the 
"Old Dominion" for generations. He 
has heeu sedulous iu industry, upright 
in conduct and enterprising in all per- 
sonal and puhlic affairs. And as no ex- 
amjale of worth and potency is ever lost 
on the American people, he is esteemed 
in the community which has witnessed 
and had the benefits of his earnestness 
and zeal as one of its best and most ser- 
viceable citizens. In business, in social 
relations and in domestic life he has met 
every requirement of upright and ser- 
viceable living, and in public affairs he 
has been both a stimulus and a sedative, 
inciting his fellow citizens to all good 
works for the advantage of the com- 
munity and restraining them from all 
excesses in the exercise of their enter- 
prise. The communify is indebted to him 
for wise counsel and productive energy, 
and also for prudent guidance and con- 
sei'vativo force, and it esteems him ac- 
cordingly. 

CHARLES A. HICKMAN. 

A scion of valiant ancestry and filled 
with the spirit of American patriotism, 
Charles A. Hickman, of Hunnewell, has 
exploited in the pursuits of peaceful in- 
dustry the attributes of exalted manhood 
that have distinguished other members 
of his family on the field of carnage and 
helped to give American citizenship its 



standing in the estimation of the world. 
His grandfather, "William A. Hickman, 
foiight under Andrew Jackson at New 
Orleans in one of the decisive battles of 
the world's history, where native cour- 
age and love of liberty were matched 
and won against splendid discipline and 
the heroism of ten thousand sanguinary 
conflicts. 

Mr. Hickman was born in Shelby 
county on December 7, 1873, and began 
his education in the i)ublic schools of 
Hunnewell, which he comjileted at the 
Christian University at Canton, Mis- 
souri, where he was a student in 1892 
and 1893. He is a son of Joseph H. and 
Fannie (Reid) Hickman, the former a 
native of Alabama and the latter of Shel- 
by county. A brief account of their lives 
will be found elsewhere in this volume. 
After leaving school the son entered the 
employ of W. Stoddard, a railway con- 
tractor of St. Paul, Minnesota, with 
whom he worked until 1905. He then 
passed one year in Chicago, and since 
that time has been continuously con- 
nected with the contracting firm of C. H. 
Sharp & Co. Construction work has en- 
gaged his attention from the dawn of his 
manhood until the present time except 
for two years, when he was engaged in 
farming in the Indian Territory. It will 
be easily inferred from the story of his 
life as outlined above that he has had a 
great variety of experiences and has 
mingled with men under vastly differing 
circumstances. His opportunities of ob- 
servation have been extensive and have 
presented a wide expanse in phases of 
human life. He has profited by them to 
his own advantage and that of the com- 
munity in which he has so long lived and 



292 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



labored, and in consequence his services 
to the city and its people have been of a 
high order of excellence and fruitful for 
their good. He has studied conditions 
and requirements iinder many circum- 
stances and is able to deduct the right 
measure of good from all for any partic- 
ular necessity at home. And being en- 
gaged in construction work, he has also 
been in touch with the genius of improve- 
ment and learned just how men feel 
toward it in any given case. He has 
therefore been able to apply his own 
energy and capacity in this regard intel- 
ligently and by it lead up to good results. 
He is regarded as one of the best and 
most useful citizens of Hunnewell, for he 
is always alert to its substantial and en- 
during welfare and eager in his efforts 
to promote it. 

In political faith Mr. Hicfkman is a 
firm Kepublican, standing by the princi- 
ples of his party with unquestioning loy- 
alty and supporting its candidates with 
all his |iower under all circumstances. 
In local affairs, however, his first consid- 
eration is the welfare of the community, 
whether the interests involved be those 
of the city or the county, and for their 
good he works incessantly without re- 
gard to jiartisan or personal claims. In 
fraternal life he is connected with the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and 
the Ancient Order of United AVorkmen 
and Masons. In these organizations he 
finds latitude for the exercise of his pub- 
lic spirit, and he gives it free rein in 
them to the end that the people around 
him derive the benefit of his activity. 
His religious aflRliafinn is with the Chris- 
tian church, and in that also he has long 
been active and efTective as a worker and 



wise and judicious as a counselor. He is 
a stockholder in the Farmers & Mer- 
chants' Bank of Hunnewell and con- 
nected with other institutions of value in 
promoting the enduring welfare of Hun- 
newell and Shelby county, of which he is 
recognized as one of the leading and 
most influential citizens. 



THE COMMEECIAL BANK OF 
SHELBINA, MISSOURI. 

This bank, which is one of the historic 
financial institutions of Shelby count}', 
was foimded on October 28, 1888, with a 
capital stock of $30,000, all of which was 
paid in at once before the bank was 
opened for business. The officers at the 
beginning were: President, William H. 
Warren; vice-president, C. H. Lasley; 
cashier, John J. Bragg; directors, Wil- 
liam H. AYarren, C. H. Lasley, John J. 
Bragg, John J. Ellis, J. AV. Thompson, 
S. G. Parsons, John T. Frederick, F. D. 
Crow and Thomas M. Sparks. 

Mr. AVarreu served as president until 
July, 1890, when he was succeeded by S. 
G. Parsons, who served until February, 
1894. John R. Lyell was then elected 
president, but in September, 1895, he re- 
signed and was chosen cashier, J. W. 
Thompson succeeding him as president 
and serving as such until his death in 
1898. Soon after the death of Mr. 
Thomjison the bank went into liquida- 
tion. A reorganization was had in 1898, 
with J. William Towson as ])resident. 
Mr. Towson retired in 1900 and J. R. 
Lyell, the present incumbent of the presi- 
dency, was chosen to succeed him. 

The vice-)iresidents have also changed 
from time to time. Mr. Lasley served 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



293 



but a short time and then gave way to 
J. W. Thompson, who held the office 
imtil 1895. B. F. Dobyus was also vice- 
president for a short time. He was suc- 
ceeded by T. M. Sparks, wlio filled the 
office until his death in 1S96. Then Mar- 
tin S. Buckman was elected and he is 
still rendering valued service as vice- 
president. 

The next cashier after Mr. Bragg was 
Alonzo "\V. Combs, who resigned soon 
after his election and was followed by 
John R. Lyell. The present cashier, 
Arthur E. Jones, began his term of ser- 
vice in 1900, and has filled the position 
continuouslj' evei' since. The officers of 
the bank at the time of this writing are : 
President, John R. Lyell ; vice-president, 
Martin S. Biickman; cashier, Arthur E. 
Jones; directors, in addition to the 
above, J. R. Morgan, W. A. Maupin, W. 
B. Kendrick and Charles B. Martin. In 
1908 the institution imdferwent another 
reorganization, raising its capital stock 
to $40,000 in the new arrangement. 

JOSEPH H. HICKMAN. 

This venerable citizen of Shelby coun- 
ty, who has his home in Hunnewell, was 
born in the county on November 20, 1840, 
his life beginning in what is now Jack- 
son towusliip, and before the county was 
organized as a separate municipality in 
the state. It is easy to infer tluit if he 
came into being before Shelby county 
was organized his life began amidst the 
constant liazards, continual jirivations 
and ]uir(Lsliii)s and arduous rcciuircments 
of pioneer existence and liis luibits were 
formed and his faculties developed in 
accordance with the requirements of 



such a state of life. In fact, he has 
shown throughout his long and useful 
career the qualities of self reliance, re- 
sourcefulness and readiness for any 
emergency that is born of the frontier, 
and his early training has been of the 
greatest service to him under circum- 
stances far removed from the require- 
ments of the pioneer life. 

Mr. Hickmau is a worthy scion of a 
family of military renown, his grand- 
father, William A. Hickman, having 
taken part in the War of 1812 and fought 
valiantly under General Jackson in the 
decisive contest against the flower of the 
British army at New Orleans, which 
quieted all objection to the dominion of 
the United States over the territory they 
had purchased from Prance, and con- 
vinced all beholders of the power of this 
nation to defend with the sword every 
domain it might acquire by diplomacy or 
]uirchase. The grandfather was a na- 
tive of Alabama and became a resident 
of Missouri early in the 30 's, locating in 
Marion county, where he passed the re- 
mainder of his days in farming and rais- 
ing live stock. 

Joseph H. Hickman is a sou of David 
and Sinah (Davis) Hickman, the former 
born in Alabama in 1S08, and the latter a 
native of Kentucky. They were married 
in 1828 and moved to Missouri in 1829, 
making their first home in this state in 
what is now ]\Iarion county. In 1830 the 
father bought a farm of 160 acres within 
the present limits of Shelby county, but 
long before the county was organized, 
lie and liis young wife were among the 
first settlers of this portion of the state 
and shared with the few other hardy ad- 
venturers who started its redemption 



294 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



from the -svilderness all the hardships 
and privations, the perils and incon- 
veniences of its frontier period, steadilj- 
working their way onward to independ- 
ence and substantial comfort. They en- 
gaged actively in farming and raising 
stock until the death of the father on the 
farm he had made from the untrodden 
wilds, which occurred on Augiist 17, 
1844. On this farm also their nine chil- 
dren passed their early lives, taking 
their places in the work of building a 
home and risking the dangers through 
which their efforts had to pass to suc- 
cess. Of the nine children born on this 
farm only three are now living. They 
are: Hansford B., of Barry county, Mis- 
souri ; Jesse H., of Huuuewell, an ac- 
count of whose life will be found in this 
work ; and the immediate siibject of this 
brief memoir. In ]iolitics the father was 
a '\^'^lig and in religion a Baptist. 

His son, Joseph H. Hickman, was 
reared on the homestead and educated in 
the primtive frontier schools of his boy- 
hood and youth. They did not offer 
much in the extent of variety of their 
course of instruction, and their ap- 
pliances were of the crudest character. 
The school houses were built of logs 
fashioned according to the only avail- 
a1)le model of the time and furnished 
with slab benches of the coarsest and 
most unfinished kind. The schools there- 
fore provided neither much sustenance 
for the mind nor comfort for the body. 
But such as they were, Mr. Hickman 
made the best possible use of them, and 
thus laid the foundations for the fund of 
general information which he now pos- 
sesses, and which has been ripened and 
developed \u the stern school of experi- 



ence which he has subsequently attended. 
He remained on the farm with his 
mother until 1867, when he moved to 
Hannibal and took employment as a day 
laborer in a lumber yard. In 1870 he 
returned to Shelby county and again en- 
tered upon the occupation to which he 
had been reared, that of tilling the soil 
and raising live stock, in wliich he has 
ever since been actively and successfully 
engaged, except for a short time during 
which he was merchandising in Keokuk, 
Iowa, in sewing machines and musical 
instruments and supplies. He has also 
owned and operated in connection with 
his farming operations a saw mill at 
Huunewell. 

In politics Mr. Hickman has been a 
Repulilican from the organization of the 
party, and for many years he has been a 
consistent and zealous member of the 
Christian chui'ch, being now one of the 
elders of the congregation in which he 
holds memlicrship, and at all times ren- 
dering helpful .service in all its worthy 
undertakings. He is also active in the 
service of his political party, supporting- 
its principles and candidates loyally, al- 
though he has never himself sought or 
desired a political office of any kind. On 
iMarch 11, 1867, he was married to Miss 
Fannie Reed, a native of Clark county, 
Missouri. All of the four children born 
to them are living: Homer C. and 
Charles A., of Huunewell (see sketch of 
Charles A. in this volume) ; Mamie, wife 
of R. L. Yancy, of this county; and An- 
na, wife of Ennis D. Noland, of Chilli- 
cotlie, Illinois. Having lost his father 
when the son was but four years old, 
]\rr. Hickman has been obliged to make 
his own wav in the world from an early 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



295 



age, and he has so conducted his affairs 
that he has been successful in business, 
and in addition has won the lasting re- 
gard of all who know him. He is ac- 
counted one of the most sterling and 
worthy citizens of the county. 

JESSE H. HICKMAN. 

This esteemed farmer had been living 
retired from active pursuits for a num- 
ber of years in Hunnewell, after having 
passed the heat and burden of an active 
life of arduous labor in cultivating the 
soil, rendering good service to his coun- 
try in the Civil war and in other lines of 
etfort. He was a son of David and Sinah 
(Davis) Hickman, whose life story will 
be found recorded at some length in a 
sketch of his brother, Joseph H. Hick- 
man, also a resident of Hramewell, which 
appears on another page of this work. 

Mr. Hickman was born in Jackson 
township, Shelby county, Missouri, on 
March 11, 1838. His father died when 
the son was but six years old, and the 
care of the family then devolved on the 
mother. She was a resolute woman of 
the frontier, inured to its hardships and 
privations and familiar with its dangers 
from attacks of savage beasts and wild 
Indians, by whom the plains and forests 
of the un])eoj)led West were still claimed 
as their rightful domain, and the early 
settlers were considered as legitimate 
prey to satisfy the hunger of the one or 
glut the fury of the other. She knew the 
difficulties and the mag-nitude of the duty 
before her, but she entered ujion it with 
real heroism and performed it with abil- 
ity and fidelity. 

The son grew to maturity on the pa- 



rental homestead, remaining at home and 
assisting in the labors on the farm until 
1863. He then felt it his duty to offer his 
life in behalf of the integrity of the Un- 
ion and become a part of the army iight- 
ing in its defense. In April of the year 
last mentioned he enlisted for the re- 
mainder of the war in the Federal army, 
Company Gr, One Hundred and Eleventh 
Missouri Cavalry, in which he continued 
to serve until he was honorably dis- 
charged in 1865. His service was ren- 
dered in Arkansas, at Duvall's Bluff, 
Grand Prairie and Cross Roads, under 
the command of Col. William D. Wood. 
After the war Mr. Hickman returned to 
the farm and remained on it with the 
rest of the family until 1867. On Decem- 
ber 6 of that year he was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Emma Hubbard, a resi- 
dent at the time of Marion county, in this 
state, but a native of Ohio. 

Mr. Hickman then took a farm of his 
own and for many years thereafter 
passed the greater part of his time on it, 
pushing with all his enterprise his dual 
occupation of farming and raising live 
stock. He was successful in his under- 
takings and became one of the prosper- 
ous and substantial citizens of Jackson 
township, Shelby county, in which his 
operations were conducted. As time 
passed and he began to feel the weight 
of years upon him he determined to give 
up active work and enjoy for the re- 
mainder of his days a rest which he felt 
that he had richly deserved. He accord- 
ingly sold his farm and all that belonged 
to it and took up his residence in Hunne- 
well, where his death occurred April 15, 

I9in. 

He and liis wife became the ]inronts of 



296 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



six children, tlu'ee of wliom are living: 
George H.. of Edna, Missouri, and a twin 
son and daughter — Edward, who now 
lives in Manila, Philippine Islands, and 
Effie, the wife of H. M. Gould, of Hunne- 
well. In politics Mr. Hickman was a 
loyal and determined Republican, and as 
he did not hesitate to enforce his convic- 
tions on the field of carnage during the 
Civil war, so he never hid them in polit- 
ical affairs. He was always earnest and 
effective in the service of his party and 
his efforts in its behalf were highly ap- 
preciated by its leaders. He kept alive 
the memories of his military service by 
active and ardent membership in the 
Grand Army of the Republic. For many 
years he was a faithful and zealous mem- 
ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
South, and took a leading part in its 
works of benevolence. He was also ener- 
getic in promoting the welfare of the 
community around him and was es- 
teemed as one of its best and most useful 
and representative citizens. 

JAMES A. SPALDING. 

Although born of a martial strain 
whose family name has been written in 
enduring phrase on the military annals 
of our country, James A. Spalding, of 
Hunnewell, has passed his life in the 
pursuits of peaceful and productive in- 
dustry, depending wholly on himself for 
his advancement and on his own merit 
to win the regard and good will of his 
fellow men, without counting on any 
family record or heroic traditions to help 
him in the effort. By steady adherence 
to his chosen lines of endeavor and by 
fidelitv to everv duty he has succeeded 



admirably in both, and now stands among 
the people who have witnessed his long 
years of effort and his upright and use- 
ful life a veritable patriarch of more 
than four-score years, venerated and be- 
loved by all who Icnow him. 

Mr. Spalding was born in Marion 
county, Kentucky, on October 17, 1828, 
and is a son of James A. and Sarah 
(Green) Spalding, natives of Maryland 
and early settlers in Kentucky, going to 
that then distant region while it was yet 
under the dominion of barbarism, with 
the wild denizens of the forest roaming 
freely over its wide domain and exacting 
tribute from the invading race that was 
to exterminate them and call the waste 
they had so long used fruitlessly from 
its sleep of ages and make it minister to 
the general welfare of mankind. The 
father was a son of John Aaron Spald- 
ing, who served in the Revolutionary 
war and rendered his name immortal by 
being one of the captors of Major Andre, 
the unfortunate tool of our historic 
traitor, Benedict Arnold. He came into 
being in 1788 and moved to Kentucky 
while yet a mere youth. There he en- 
gaged in farming and blacksmithing un- 
til his death on March 4, 1833, except for 
a short period during which he rendered 
his country valiant service as a soldier 
in the Black Hawk Indian war. He was 
married in 1820 to Miss Sarah Green, 
who, like himself, migrated fi'om the cul- 
tivated society and comfortable civiliza- 
tion of her native state at an early age, 
and found a new home with all its trials 
and privations in the wilds of the "West, 
locating in what is now Marion county, 
Kentucky, where the marriage occurred. 
They became the parents of eight chil- 



HTSTOEY OF SPIELBY COUNTY 



397 



dreu, all but two of whom have passed 
over to the activities that know no weari- 
ness, those living- being the venerable 
subject of this memoir and his sister, 
Sarah E., who is now the widow of A. B. 
Thiehoff, of Hunnewell. The father was 
a Democrat in political faith and a Cath- 
olic in religion, and was faithful and 
constant in his devotion to both his polit- 
ical party and his church. 

James A. Spalding was reared in his 
native county and educated mainly in 
private schools there. He also attended 
St. Mary's College in that county. In the 
spring of 1850, taking his parents' exam- 
ple as his guide and inspiration, he 
sought his fortune on his own hook and 
also in the farther wake of the setting- 
sun. He came to Missouri and located 
in Ealls count}', where he started an en- 
terprise in blacksmithing, having learned 
the trade under the instruction of his 
father and others. He also followed 
farming in connection with working at 
his trade. In 1859 he moved to Shelby 
county and opened a blacksmithing es- 
tablishment at Hunnewell. This he con- 
ducted until 1861, when he bought a farm 
about a half mile from Hunnewell, and 
on this he has ever since lived. He is 
now eighty-two years of age, but still 
manages his farm of 240 acres with vigor 
and progressiveness, although he has 
some of the land rented. But his activity 
remains despite his weight of years, and 
his faculties seem to be as keen and his 
enterprise as great as when he was a 
much younger man. It is given to few 
men to accomplish as much as Mr. 
Sjialding has, even with his length of 
life, and to still fewer to retain health 
and strength at his advanced age. It is 



probable that the toughening of tissue he 
received in his early years of outdoor 
toil has been one source of his long con- 
tinued vigor and uniform good health. 
And it is certain that the self reliance 
and need of readiness for emergencies, 
which began with him in his youth, have 
been of great benefit in all his subse- 
quent undertakings, both to himself and 
to those who have shared in the fruits of 
his industry, frugality and prudence. 

Mr. Spalding was married on Septem- 
ber 21, 1858, to Miss Mary Tsabelle 
Leake, of Monroe county, ^Missouri. They 
became the parents of fourteen children, 
.seven of whom are living: William B., 
of Monroe City; Martin J., of Venetia, 
Oklahoma; Sarah J., who is living at 
home ; John A., of Chelcia, Oklahoma ; 
Alice A., who is still a member of the 
parental household; Eva M., who is de- 
voting her life to religious work and is 
now Sister Mary Crescentia of the Lo- 
retta Order; and Rose, at Sapulpa, Okla- 
homa. Charles Albert died in Montana 
in 1909 and Joseph L. died at Sapulpa, 
Oklahoma, March, 1910. 

In political faith the father has been 
a lifelong Democrat, true and faithful to 
his convictions and strong and sedulous 
in the support of his party. In religion 
he is a devout and consistent Catholic, 
earnest for the welfare of his church and 
with an abiding reliance on its teachings. 
He has passed half a centuiy of useful- 
ness in Shelby county, contributing to 
its development and improvement by his 
useful labors and helping to give its fis- 
cal and political affairs ]iroper ti'end and 
guidance. No man among this people is 
more highly esteemed by them, and none 
has better deserved their regard, confi- 



298 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



denee and good will. They celebrated 
their golden wedding in 1908, going 
through the entire Catholic ceremonv. 



PETEE J. EEAEDON. 

In the life of this highly useful and es- 
teemed citizen of Jackson township, 
Shelby county, the pathetic is mingled 
with the sentimental, and eminent suc- 
cess has followed heavy trials, exacting 
privations and arduous industry. He 
came to this country when he was a 
young man, with no capital but his own 
energy, capacity and indomitable spirit. 
He confronted the difficulties of his sit- 
uation with calm Init determined courr 
age, met its requirements with intelli- 
gence and fidelity and compelled reluc- 
tant Fortune to give him tribute of her 
bounty by the persistency and skill with 
which he wooed her favor. 

Mr. Eeardon was born and reared in 
Ii'eland, where his ancestors for many 
generations lived and lal)ored and in the 
soil of which the mortal remains of his 
father, Eugene Eeardon, and his grand- 
father, John Eeardon, were laid to rest 
amid scenes of private grief and public 
lamentation, which he witnessed. On the 
death t)f his father the care of the family 
devolved upon the sorrowing mother, 
whose maiden name was Julia Curtis. 
She performed her duty to her offspring 
faithfully, meeting all difficulties with a 
resolute determination to yield to none, 
and giving the members of her household 
an excellent example as well as good 
counsel. She was the mother of eiglit 
children, of whom but two are living, her 
sons, Peter J., of Shelby county, and 
Daniel, now a resident of Kansas Citv, 



^lissouri. Feeling that this country of- 
fered her better opportunities for com- 
fort and further success in life, she came 
over in 1882, following her son Peter, 
who emigrated from his native land to 
this state in 1881. She took up her resi- 
dence in Shelby county, and here she 
passed the remainder of her days, dying 
in 190G respected and lamented by all 
who knew her. 

Peter J. Eeardon grew to manhood in 
his inhospitable native land and realized 
full)' that, while its inhospitality was not 
due to either the character or the habits 
of its own peoi)le, but to outside in- 
fluences, it was, nevertheless, cruel and 
oppressive to the toiling millions and 
prevented the business success and social 
standing to which many of them felt that 
they might properly aspire. He there- 
fore determined as soon as manhood 
"darkened on his downy cheek" to grat- 
ify a longing which had long stirred 
within him and seek his fortunes in the 
New AVorld, which seemed to beckon him 
to its shores with open hands and golden 
promises. Accordingly, in 1881, he dared 
the heaving bosom of the stormy Atlan- 
tic and soon afterward landed in the 
United States. He came at once to Mis- 
souri and found a new home in Ean- 
dolph county, where he engaged in tele- 
graph construction work for four years. 
Following that occupation he served as 
foreman of a section gang on tlie Hanni- 
bal & St. Joseph railroad, which is now 
a part of the Burlington system, for 
eighteen years. 

r^fr. Eeardon had received but a lim- 
ited education in his native land, but he 
had aspirations to better things than his 
service for the railroad company af- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



299 



orded liim aud lie determined to go after 
them. In 1904 be bought what was 
known as the "Jerome Worlaud farm," 
which was one of tlie lirst cultivated 
farms in Shelby county. To the cultiva- 
tion of his laud he has since then dili- 
gently devoted himself, farming it with 
intelligence and spirit and improving it 
from time to time in accordance with the 
geuius of development of the section in 
which it is located. He now owns 370 
acres of land and has about 215 acres un- 
der skillful and productive cultivation. 
The place is improved with a good dwell- 
ing, barns and other necessary struc- 
tures, and is regarded as one of the best 
farms in this part of the state. 

In January, 1890, Mr. Reardon was 
united in marriage with Miss Ellen Mar- 
kin, who was born and reared in Marion 
county, Missouri. They have had seven 
children, six of whom are living: Daniel, 
Julia, Joseph, Katie, Agnes and John, 
all yet under the parental rooftree and 
assisting in the work of cultivating and 
improving the farm. The father is a 
Republican in politics and a Catholic in 
religion. He is earnestly devoted to the 
institutions of the land of his adoption 
and does his utmost to promote their 
welfare. His state and country have 
given him opportunity ; his own capacity, 
industry and good judgment have given 
him success ; and he returns the one and 
.iustifies the other by loyal devotion and 
service to both state and nation, showing 
his feelings in the matter by manly and 
effective efforts in l)ehalf of every 
worthy interest or undertaking of either. 
In local affairs he has been a potent in- 
fluence in building U]i his township and 
county and developing toward their 



highest power all the intellectual, moral 
and material forces at work for their bet- 
terment. His friends and neighbors liold 
him in cordial regard and the whole peo- 
ple admire his manhood and res])ect the 
elevated character of his citizenship. 

ROY JANES. 

Mr. Janes was for some years an es- 
timable citizen of Lakenan and is one 
of the enterprising merchants of Shelby 
county and has shown grit beyond his 
years and spirit worthy of a Spartan. 
He has been tried by several forms of 
disaster, among them the ordeal of fire, 
and has not flinched in the presence of 
any. 

He was born in Shelby county on Feb- 
ruary 18, 1888, and is a son of Joseph 
W. and Elizabeth (Montgomery) Janes, 
both, like himself, born and reared in 
Shelby county. The father's life began 
in 1862, and after reaching his maturity 
he followed farming profitably and also 
conducted a threshing outfit until his 
death, on March 25, 1908, at Lakenan, 
where he was then living. He was mar- 
ried in 1886 and by his marriage became 
the father of four children — Roy, Wal- 
ter, Bernice and Weldon — three of whom 
are living at home with their mother. In 
politics the father was a Republican, in 
fraternal life a Modern Woodman of 
America and in religious connection a 
member of the Baptist church. He was 
highly respected and his untimely death 
in the full vigor of his manhood and 
when ho seemed to have many years of 
usefulness remaining for him was uni- 
vovsally deplored. 

Roy Janes was left an or]ihan by the 



300 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



death of his father when he was twenty 
years of age and was obliged to at once 
begin the battle of life for himself. His 
preparation for the struggle was in part 
a common school education obtained in 
the district schools of Shelby county, 
and in part the companionship and ex- 
ample of his father, with whom he 
worked three j^ears after leaving school 
on the farm from which he had drawn 
his stature and his strength. He was then 
employed for a time as a section hand 
and timekeeper in the service of the Chi- 
cago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. He 
did not regard his sphere as too humble 
or his work as unworthy of him, for he 
had been imbued with the conviction that 
all useful labor is dignified and honor- 
able. But he felt that there was a des- 
tiny of more extensive opportunity be- 
fore him and that he could employ his 
faculties, to better advantage than the 
occupation in which he was engaged 
afforded. 

Yielding to this feeling, on June 1, 
1908, Mr. Janes entered into partnership 
with John McGlasson in a general mer- 
chandising enterprise, the success of 
which from the start gave him high hopes 
of rapidly increasing material acquisi- 
tions. But on November 7, following the 
opening of the store, it and all its con- 
tents were totally destroyed by fire, and 
this ended the partnership with the busi 
ness. ]\rr. Janes was not dismayed by 
his disaster. He at once began to look 
about him for a new connection with a 
view to undertaking a new enterprise. 
He formed another partnership, this 
time with C. W. Mcintosh, of Lentner, 
and on February 1. 1909, they opened 
their new store. Mr. Janes continued 



in this firm until the summer of 1910, 
when he disposed of his interest in the 
business and removed to Kansas City, 
Mo., where he is now employed. 

JOHN E. LYELL. 

.John E. Lyell, the president and con- 
trolling spirit of the Commercial Bank 
of Shelbina, the man who directs its pol- 
icy and looks closely and intelligently 
after all its alfairs, is a native of Shelby 
county, where he was born on November 
14, 186C. He is a son of Thomas P. and 
Sarah E. (Jones) Lyell, the former of 
whom was born and reared in Virginia 
and the latter in Missouri. The father 
came to this state at an early age and 
located in Marion county. Some time 
afterward he moved to Shelby county 
and took up his residence north of Hun- 
newell. There he became possessed of a 
tract of wild land which had never yet 
responded to the persuasive hand of sys- 
tematic cultivation, but lay buried in the 
sleep of ages waiting for the voice of its 
master to call it forth to frnitfulness and 
beauty. Mr. Lyell broke up the tract 
and improved it, making of it one of the 
best and most jiroductive farms in the 
county, and finally ending his days on it 
amid the monuments to his enterprise 
and progressiveness which he had 
reared around him. His widow survived 
him a few years, passing away at Shel- 
bina. They have three sons and one 
daughter living, and all contributing ac- 
tively and ]iractically to the welfare of 
the commmiitios in which they have their 
homes. The family is of Scotch ancestiy. 

John B. Lyell grew to manliood in this 
countv and obtained his education in the 




JOHN R. LYELL 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



301 



Shelbina schools and Collegiate Insti- 
tute. He began life for himself as a 
clerk and salesman in a grocery store, 
and during the short time he served the 
requirements of his position with indus- 
try and fidelity. But he felt within him 
an urgent call to fields of higher en- 
deavor and wider opportunity. Accord- 
ingly he engaged in the real estate, loan 
and insurance business, which he fol- 
lowed until he became president of the 
bank. Since then he has given the af- 
fairs of the bank his close personal at- 
tention, looking into all the details of its 
business with intelligent scrutiny and an 
earnest determination to secure the best 
possible results in every respect for its 
promoters and patrons. In addition he 
owns and operates a large farm. 

In political faith Mr. Lyell is allied 
with the Democratic party, but, although 
he is active in the support of its princi- 
ples and candidates, he has never sought 
or consented to accept an office for him- 
self except in the government of the 
town. Among the many fraternal and 
benevolent societies existent and active 
in the country he has- allied himself with 
but two, the Masonic order and the 
Knights of Pythias. In the former he 
holds the rank of Knight Templar. In 
religious affiliations he belongs to the M. 
E. Church, South, and is president of the 
board of stewards of the congregation in 
which he has his membership. On June 
28, 1890, he was united in marriage with 
Miss Idress Stephens, of Macon, Mis- 
souri. No man stands higher in the com- 
munity than Ml-. Lyell, and none better 
deserves the esteem in which he is held. 
To every interest of the town and county 



he has been attentive in the most practi- 
cal and beneficial way. 

THOMAS JANES. 

The interesting subject of this writ- 
ing, who is one of the venerable and 
venerated citizens of Shelby county and 
now has his home in Lakenau, was born 
in Washington county, Kentucky, on No- 
vember 2, 1832, and is a son of John H. 
and Henrietta (Gibbs) Janes, the for- 
mer a native of Kentucky and the latter 
born and reared in the same state. The 
father was born in 1800 and became a 
resident of Missouri in 1851. He took 
up land in Marion county, which he cul- 
tivated and improved, and on which he 
was extensively engaged in raising live 
stock, until 1865. In that year he re- 
tired from active work and moved to 
Shelby county, making his home with 
his son-in-law, Benjamin Green. He 
died in 1866. In 1819 he was married 
to Miss Henrietta Gibbs, and by this 
marriage became the father of eleven 
children, six of whom are living: James 
L. G., who has his home in Monroe 
county; Thomas, who is the theme of 
these paragraphs; John H., a resident 
of Nebraska; William P., of Ilunnewell; 
Kittie, the wife of Benjamin Green, now 
living in Monroe county; and Rebecca 
Ann, the widow of George Ruberson, de- 
ceased. In polities the father was a pro- 
nounced Democrat and in religion a firm 
and faithful Catholic. 

Thomas Janes lived to the age of nine- 
teen in his native state and was educated 
in the district schools near his home, 
supplementing their course of instruc- 



302 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



tion as a student at St. Rosey Intinnary 
for a few terms. He came to Missouri 
with bis parents in 1851 and remained 
with them on the new farm they were 
cultivating in this state until 1853. His 
father then gave him fifty acres of land 
in Marion county, and to the develop- 
ment and improvement of this tract he 
devoted himself with skill and iudustrj^ 
until 1862. The storm of the Civil war 
having by that time developed into a 
hurricane of disaster, he felt it his duty 
to give his services to his state in the 
endeavor to save it to the Union and 
defend it against armed invasion. He 
therefore enlisted in the state military 
service and was connected with it until 
1864, when he joined the Federal army 
as first lieutenant of Company G, Thirty- 
ninth Missouri Volunteer Infantry, un- 
der Colonel Kutzner. He was present 
at the battles of Centralia and Jefferson 
City and rendered excellent service in 
helping to break up tlie numerous bands 
of guerrillas and bushwhackers whose 
predatory warfare terrorized the state. 
Mr. Janes was mustered out of the 
army on July 19, 1865, and at once lo- 
cated in Shelby county, where he has 
been living ever since, except for one 
year, during which lie lived in Phelps 
county for the benefit of his health, and 
for another, when he was farming and 
raising stock in St. Louis county. He 
continued farming and raising live stock 
until 1885, when he retired, a little later 
moving to Lakenan, where he has passed 
all his subsequent years, enjojang the 
comforts of the estate he has wrung 
from the soil by industry and thrift, and 
the rest his long and trying labors entitle 
him to. 



Two marriages have been the lot of 
Mr. Janes, his first wife being Miss 
Hulda Buzzard, whom he married in 
July, 1852. The fruits of this union 
were five children, three of whom are 
living: Mary Frances, widow of "Will- 
iam H. Howe, now living in Hunne- 
well; Sarah Katharine, the wife of 
Frank Hudson, of Morrill, Michigan; 
and John L., deceased. The second mar- 
riage was with Miss Lucretia A. Mayes, 
of Shelby county, and resulted in two 
children, Joseph W. and James T. Their 
mother is still living, revered by all who 
know her, as is Mr. James himself, who 
is well and favorably known all over 
the county, and is everj-where esteemed 
as an upright and lorogressive man and 
a high-toned and admirable citizen. In 
politics he is a Republican and in reli- 
gion a Baptist. 

ADOLPHUS G. WOOD, M. D. 

One of the honored and distinguished 
representatives of the medical profes- 
sion in Shelb}' county and a scion of 
one of the well known pioneer families 
of this section of the state. Dr. Wood 
has here maintained his home from the 
time of his childhood, and for many 
years he has been engaged in the suc- 
cessful practice of his profession in 
Shelby county. For more than thirty 
years he has been a resident of the thriv- 
ing little city of Leutner, and he is rec- 
ognized as one of its most prominent and 
influential citizens. He has various cap- 
italistic interests of importance and is 
one of the principal stockholders of the 
Bank of Lentner, of which he has been 
president from the time of its inception, 



HISTOI^Y OF SHELBY COUNTY 



303 



in 1906. A brief record conceruing this 
solid and popular financial institution is 
entered on other pages of this work, so 
that detailed reference to the same is 
not demanded' in this personal sketch of 
its president. 

Dr. Wood has the distinction of being 
a native of San Diego, Cuba, where he 
was born on the 18th of March, 1831, and 
the lineage of the family is traced back 
to staunch English stock. His paternal 
grandfather, Benjamin Wood, came from 
England to America prior to the war 
of the Revolution, was loyal to the pa- 
triot cause and continued liis residence 
in this country until his death. Dr. 
Adoli)hus E. Wood, father of him whose 
name initiates this sketch, was born in 
the city of Baltimore, Maryland, in the 
year 1805, and he received liberal edu- 
cational advantages, becoming a skilled 
physician and surgeon according to the 
standard of his time. He was engaged 
in the practice of his profession in San 
Diego, Cuba, for a period of about four 
years, and in 1834 he came to Missouri 
and located at Hannibal, which was then 
a mere village. There he followed the 
work of his profession about six months, 
at the expiration of which he came to 
Shelby county. He purchased a tract 
of 200 acres of land on Salt river, in this 
county, and leased the same, whereupon 
he established his home in the village of 
Oakdale, where he was engaged in the 
successful practice of his profession un- 
til his death, which occurred on the 20th 
of November, 1856. He was the first 
physician to make permanent location 
in Shelby county, and the history of this 
section of the state bears record of his 



able and faithful service iii the cause of 
suffering humanity — service rendered 
often at great personal discomfort and 
demanding the utmost self-abnegation. 
He was a man of fine intellectuality and 
of exalted character, so that he was well 
equipped for leadership in public thought 
and action in the pioneer community 
with whose interests he so thoroughly 
identified himself. He was a member of 
the first court convened in Shelby county, 
and he contributed generously to the 
civic and material development and 
progress of this now favored section of 
the state. He was a staunch Democrat 
in his political allegiance. The names 
of both he and wife merit an enduring- 
place on the roll of the honored pioneers 
of Shelby county. 

In the year 1828 was solemnized the 
marriage of Dr. Adolphus E. Wood to 
Miss Anna C. Florette, who was born 
in France and whose death occurred in 
the year 1894. They became the par- 
ents of ten children, of whom seven are 
now living, namely: Charles S., who is 
a representative citizen of Shelbyville, 
this county; Dr. Adolphus G., who is 
the immediate subject of this sketch; 
Matilda T., who is the widow of Anothy 
Gooch and who now maintains her home 
in Quincy, Illinois; Benjamin 0., who is 
a resident of Monroe City, Missouri; 
Arabella, who is the wife of John E. 
Davis, of Hunnewell, this state; Henry 
M., who still resides in Oakdale, Shelby 
county; and Mary E., whose home is in 
the city of Shelbyville, this county. 

Dr. Adolphus G. Wood, to whom this 
sketch is dedicated, was a child of about 
three years at the time when his par- 



304 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



ents took up their abode at Oakdale, this 
county, and there he was reared to years 
of maturity, being afforded the advan- 
tages of the best schools of the locality, 
and also having the beneficent influences 
afforded by a home of distinctive culture 
and refinement. He began the study of 
medicine under the able preceptorship 
of his honored father and after making 
definite progress in his technical study 
he was finally matriculated in the med- 
ical department of the University of 
Iowa, which department of the state in- 
stitution was maintained in the city of 
Keokuk. He entered this medical school 
in 1856 and there completed the pre- 
scribed course, being graduated as a 
member of the class of 1859 and duly re- 
ceiving his well earned degree of Doctor 
of Medicine. 

After his graduation Dr. Wood as- 
sumed the practice of his father in Oak- 
dale, where he maintained his profes- 
sional headquarters until 1857, when he 
located at Walkers\-ille, this county, 
where he added much to the professional 
prestige of the name which he bears, 
haxing been most successful in his labors 
during the many years of his service as 
a physician and sui-geon, and having 
continued a close and appreciative stu- 
dent, so that he has kept in instant 
touch with the advances made in both 
branches of his profession. He was en- 
gaged in practice at "Walkersville until 
1876, when he removed to Lentner, where 
he has continued in the active work of 
his profession during the long interven- 
ing period of more than thirty years, 
and where he has an immutable hold 
upon popular confidence and esteem, both 
as a physician and as a loyal and gen- 



erous citizen. He is a member of the 
vVmerican Medical Association and is 
also identified with the Missouri State 
Medical Society and the Shelby Coimty 
^ledical Society. 

In politics Dr. Wood is aligned as a 
staunch advocate of the generic princi- 
ples for which the Democratic party has 
ever stood sponsor, but he has never de- 
sired public ofiice, though frequently im- 
portuned to accept nomination for posi- 
tions of distinctive trust. He has done 
much to further the civic and industrial 
progress of his home city and county 
and is one of the most iniiuential citizens 
of this section. He was one of the or- 
ganizers of the Bank of Lentner, in 1906, 
and, as already stated, has been its pres- 
ident from the time of its incorporation. 

On the 20th of January, 1863, was 
solemnized the marriage of Dr. "Wood 
to Miss Mary L. Mitchell, who was born 
in the state of Kentucky, whence her 
father, the late Thomas Mitchell, re- 
moved with his family to Missouri when 
she was a cliild. Dr. and Mrs. Wood be- 
came the parents of twelve children, and 
in conclusion of this brief sketch is en- 
tered the names of the nine children who 
are now living: Fernando is engaged in 
business at Houston, Texas; Ella M. is 
the wife of Henry EheinheLmer, of But- 
ler, Missouri; Amanda P., Anna Clu- 
nette, Gertrude and Zelma remain at the 
parental home; Adolphus M. is engaged 
in the practice of medicine at Lentner; 
Lamar M. is a resident of Monroe City ; 
Irene is the wife of Arthur Smith, of 
Shelbina, this coimtj-. The family has 
been prominent in the best social life of" 
the community and the attractive home 
is a center of cordial hospitality. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



305 



BANK OF LENTNEK. 

There is no one factor that so well 
determines and designates the status and 
stability of a community as the extent 
and character of its banking institutions, 
and in this regard the financial and com- 
mercial prestige of Shelby county has 
been maintained by bans of ample cap- 
ital, reinforced by duly conservative 
management. The wdse policy that has 
dominated the management of the Bank 
of Lentner from the time of its found- 
ing to the present has made it one of the 
substantial and essentially representa- 
tive financial institutions of the county, 
and as such it is consonant that brief 
record concerning it be entered in this 
publication. 

The Bank of Lentner, incorporated 
under the laws of the state, received its 
charter on the 24th of September, 1906, 
and on the 22d of the following month it 
began practical operations by opening 
the doors of its well equipped banking 
rooms and inviting public patronage. 
The bank is incorporated with a capital 
stock of twelve thousand dollars, and 
said stock is represented in one hundred 
and twenty shares of a par value of one 
hundred dollars each. The original 
board of directors of the bank was as 
follows: Dr. Adolphus G. Wood, Will- 
iam Kraft, Henry Arnold, James H. 
Melsor, Hugo Boling, Robert T. Jackson, 
and Judge- John Byrum. At the meet- 
ing of the stockholders the following 
executive officers wei'e chosen: Presi- 
dent, Dr. Adolphus G. Wood; Judge 
John T. Perry, cashier; and James H. 
IMelson, secretary of the board of di- 
rectors. 



Dr. Wood has continued incimibent of 
the presidency of the institution from its 
initiation, and the other officers at the 
time of this writing, at the opening of 
the year 1910, are as here noted: Henry 
M. Eaton, vice-president; Thomas W. 
Xoel, cashier; and James H. Melson, sec- 
retary of the board of directors. The 
directorate is composed of the following 
well known and honored citizens : James 
H. Melson, Henry M. Eaton, George W. 
Stalays, Dr. A. G. Wood, Theodore 
Hinze, Harmon Van Thun, and Henry 
Arnold. The bank has met with most 
gratifying popular support, based upon 
public confidence in those who have its 
affairs in charge, and it is today one of 
the substantial and ably conducted finan- 
cial institutions of Shelby county, with 
a support of essentially representative 
order. 

JAMES H. MELSON. 

Mr. Melson is one of the representa- 
tive citizens of his native county, with 
whose business interests he has been long 
and prominently identified, and he served 
for a term of fully fifteen years as post- 
master in Lentner, where he still main- 
tains his home and where he is now en- 
gaged in the buying and shipping of live 
stock, with which line of enterprise he 
has been concerned for a decade and a 
half. 

James H. Melson was born on a farm 
in Shelby county, Missouri, on the 6th 
of February, 1860, and is a son of Ben- 
jamin N. and Mary J. (Carman) Mel- 
son, the former of whom was born in the 
state of Maryland, on the 6th of Janu- 
arv, 182.3, and the latter of whom was 



306 



HISTOHY OF SHELBY COUA'TY 



born and reared in Marion county, Mis- 
souri, where her parents took up their 
abode in the pioneer days. The Melson 
family was founded in America in the 
colonial era and Elijah Melson, grand- 
father of the subject of this sketch, was 
a native of Maryland, when he came to 
Missouri in 1837, settling in Shelby 
coimty, where he passed the remainder 
of his life, the major portion of his ac- 
tive career having been one of close iden- 
tification with the great basic industry 
of agriculture. 

Benjamin N. Melson passed his boy- 
hood and early youth in his native state 
and was about fourteen years of age at 
the time of the family removal to Mis- 
souri. He was reared to manhood in 
Shelby county, this state, and he eventu- 
ally became the owner of a well improved 
farm near the village of Clarence, this 
country. Much of the land was reclaimed 
by him and he became one of the sub- 
stantial farmers and honored citizens of 
the county, where he continued to be ac- 
tively engaged in diversified farming and 
stock-growing until his death, which oc- 
curred in August, 1905. His widow still 
resides in the old homestead, and of their 
eight children five are living. Concern- 
ing them the following brief data are 
entered: Emily A. is the wife of Will- 
iam Taylor, a prosperous farmer of 
Shelby county; James H. is the imme- 
diate subject of this sketch; Mollie J. is 
the wife of David E. Gray, who is en- 
gaged in farming in this county; Charles 
B. is a resident of Butte, Montana; and 
George A. is engaged in farming in 
Shelby county. In politics the father 
was a staunch Republican. 

James H. ]\Ielson was reared on the 



home farm and early began to contrib- 
ute his quota to its work. His early edu- 
cational training was secured in the pub- 
lic schools of Clarence and Shelbina, and 
in 1880 he went to Colorado, where he 
was identified with mining operations 
for two years, at the expiration of which 
he returned to his native county and took 
up his residence in the village of Lent- 
ner, where he purchased a general store, 
which he successfully conducted for the 
ensuing seven years, building up a sub- 
stantial trade and gaining a strong hold 
upon the confidence and esteem of the 
community. After his retirement from 
this line of enterprise he jjassed one year 
as traveling representative for a whole- 
sale commission house in the city of St. 
Louis, and he then returned to Lentner, 
where, in 1886, he was appointed post- 
master, of which office he continued in- 
cumbent until October 1, of 1908. In 
the meanwhile he had built up a large 
and prosperous business as a buyer and 
shipper of live stock, with which impor- 
tant line of industrial enterprise he has 
been actively concerned for the past fif- 
teen years, and through his operations 
he has done much to further the com- 
mercial pros]">erity of the county and vil- 
lage in which he has maintained his home 
during practically his entire life thus far. 
He was one of the organizers and incor- 
porators of the Bank of Lentner, of 
which popular and substantial institu- 
tion ho continued a stockholder and di- 
rector, and he is the owner of thirty-five 
acres of land in his home village, besides 
a number of buildings of substantial 
order. He takes a deep interest in all 
that tends to enhance the civic and ma- 
terial prosperity of the community, is 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



307 



essentiall.v progressive and liberal as a 
citizen, and, tlioug'li he has never desired 
the honors or emoluments of political 
office, he is a stalwart advocate of the 
principles and i)olicies of the Republican 
party. He is affiliated with the local or- 
ganizations of the Knights of Pythias 
and Modern Woodmen of America. 

On the 6th of January, 1887, Mr. Mel- 
son was united in marriage to Miss 
Amanda J. Livingston, who was born 
and reared in Shelby county, and who 
is a daughter of James D. Livingston, a 
I'epresentative farmer of this favored 
section of the state. Mr. and Mrs. Mel- 
son became the parents of ten children, 
of whom eight are living, namely: May 
Pearl, who is now serving as postmis- 
tress at Lentner, in which office she suc- 
ceeded her father ; and Raymond Shelby, 
Claude M., Beulah, Lew, Pauline, Theo- 
dore Eldon, and Mark. 

HARRISON EATON. 

One of the venerable and highly hon- 
ored native sons of Shelby county, with 
whose history the family name has been 
identified since the early pioneer days, 
before the organization of the county, is 
now living virtually retired in the at- 
tractive little city of Shelbina. He has 
contributed his quota to the civic and in- 
dustrial development and progress of the 
coimty, as did also his honored father, 
and here he was long and prominently 
identified with farming and stock-grow- 
ing, in connection with which lines of 
industry he gained distinctive success, 
so that he is today able to enjoy the 
generous comforts and the gracious en- 
vironment which are the just recompense 



for former years of earnest toil and en- 
deavor. Mr. Eaton is one of the well 
known citizens of the county and to him 
is given the unreserved confidence and 
esteem of the community in which he has 
passed his entire life thus far. He is 
a representative of the third generation 
of the family in America, as his grand- 
father, Jacob Eaton, was a native of 
England, whence he came to America 
when a young man, becoming an early 
settler of Kentucky, and later coming to 
Missouri, where he passed the closing 
years of his life. 

Harrison Eaton was born on the home- 
stead farm, in what is now Salt River 
township, Shelby county, Missouri, on 
the 4th of April, 1838, and is a son of 
George and Rebecca (Anderson) Eaton, 
both of whom were born and reared in 
Kentucky, where their marriage was sol- 
emnized in the year 1829. The father 
was born on the 3d of May, 1803, and his 
death occurred in February, 1871. His 
wife survived him by several years. 
They became the parents of ten children, 
of whom five are living, all being resi- 
dents of Shelby county. Of the number 
the subject of this review is the eldest; 
George W. is a successful farmer in Salt 
River township ; Martha A. is the wife of 
Ernest Harding ; Sarah E. is the wife of 
William Cochran; and Nancy E. is the 
wife of James R. Baker. In politics the 
father was a staunch Democrat and both 
he and his wife were consistent members 
of the Bajitist church. 

George Eaton was reared and edu- 
cated in Kentucky and upon coming to 
Missouri he numbered himself among 
the pioneers of Shelby county, where he 
settled before the county had been or- 



308 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ganized as such. He secured 160 acres 
of land aud set to himself the task of 
reclaiming the same to cultivation. He 
labored with all of energy and ambition 
aud was not denied a due reward, as he 
became one of the representative farm- 
ers and stock-growers of the county and 
here accumulated a valuable landed es- 
tate of about 500 acres, which he devised 
to his children in his will. He contin- 
ued to reside on his old homestead farm 
uutil his death, which occurred iu 1871, 
as has ahead}' been noted in this article. 
His cherished and devoted wife was sum- 
moned to the life eternal about 1880, 
and the names of both should be per- 
manently recorded on the roll of the hon- 
ored pioneers of Shelby county, to whose 
social and material development they 
contributed to the full measure of their 
powers and opportunities. 

Harrison Eaton, M^iose name initiates 
this sketch, was reared to maturity on 
the old home fai-m, and he continued to 
be actively associated in its work and 
management until he had attained to the 
age of thirty-two years. His educational 
advantages were such as were atTorded 
in the common schools of the locality and 
period, aud his discipline in this line was 
completed iu the village schools of Shel- 
byville, the county seat. He later am- 
])lified his fund of scholarship and gen- 
eral information through ]>rivate study 
and well directed reading, and while a 
young man he was ordained to the min- 
istry of the Baptist church. He gave 
zealous and devoted service in the work 
of this church during a period of about 
twenty years, and in the meanwhile con- 
tinued his active identification with ag- 
ricultural pursuits. In 1870 he retired 



from the work of the ministry, aud there- 
after he gave his undivided attention to 
farming and stock-growing, iu which he 
is still interested, though he has lived 
essentially retired in the village of Shel- 
bina since 1895. He has about twenty- 
five acres of land within the limits of 
this attractive town, and retains the own- 
ership of his well improved farm of 220 
acres in Shelby county, to which he gives 
a general supervision. He is one of the 
substantial men and honored citizens of 
his native county, and here he has ever 
held the unqualified confidence and high 
regard of all who know him. Generous 
and tolerant and imbued with a kindly 
interest in his fellow men, he has made 
his life count for good in all its relations, 
and he has been one of those earnest 
and loyal citizens who have witnessed 
and contributed to the upbuilding of the 
county as one of the most favored sec- 
tions of the state of Missouri. In poli- 
ties Mr. Eaton has been arrayed as a 
staunch supporter of the cause of the 
Republican party from practically the 
time of its inception, and both he and 
his wife have been most zealous in the 
work of the Baptist church, in whose 
ministry he served with much of conse- 
crated zeal and devotion. 

When the dark cloud of civil war cast 
its gruesome pall over the national ho- 
rizon, iMr. Eaton was loyal to the cause 
of the Union, and he was among the first 
in Missouri to tender his services as a 
soldier in the federal ranks. In Janu- 
ary, 18fi], he enlisted in the com]iany 
commanded by Capt. John F. Benjamin, 
and this company became an integral 
part of the Missouri Volunteer Infantry. 
He continued in service with this com- 




THEODORE P. MANUEL 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



309 



mand until April, 1863, when lie received 
his honorable discharge, by reason of 
physical disability. His certificate of 
disability was signed by Dr. Gilroay 
Post, who was surgeon of the federal 
hospital at Cape Girardeau, Missouri. 
Mr. Eaton took part in the engagements 
at Kirksville and Cape (Tirardeau, was 
present at the capture of the famous 
guerilla, Joseph Shelby, and took part 
in many skirmishes and other minor en- 
gagements. He is now a member of the 
Grand Army of the Republic, and is also 
affiliated with the Masonic fraternity. 

On October 25, 1870, Mr. Eaton was 
united in marriage to Miss Mary Aun 
Stalcup, who was born and reared in 
Shelliy county, where her father, the late 
"William Stalcup, was an early settler. 
The three children of this union are: 
George W., who is a resident of Idabel, 
Oklahoma ; Aima M., who is the wife of 
Chester E. O'Neal, also of Idabel, Okla- 
homa; and Ethel E., who is the wife of 
Thomas ]\I. Wood, a successful farmer 
of Shelby county. 

THEODORE P. MANUEL. 

The honored president of the Citizens' 
Bank of Clarence is a native son of Shel- 
by county, a member of one of its ster- 
ling pioneer families and a representa- 
tive citizen and business man of this 
favored section of the state. Mr. Man- 
uel was born on the old homestead farm 
of his father, in Taylor township, this 
county, and the date of his nativity was 
January 19, 1859. His father, the late 
Preston flannel, was born in Kentucky 
on the fith of March, 1820, and was 
twelve years of age at the time of his 



parents' removal to Missouri, in 1832. 
Here he was reared to manhood and re- 
ceived such advantages as were afforded 
in the somewhat primitive pioneer 
schools, and he eventually became one 
of the extensive farmers and stock grow- 
ers and essentially influential citizens of 
Shelby county, where he continued to be 
actively identified with the great basic 
art of agriculture until his death, which 
occurred on the old homestead which 
was his original place of settlement, hav- 
ing been summoned to the life eternal 
on the 23d of September, 1876. He was 
first married to Miss Hulda McAfee, 
who died one year later, and his second 
union was with Miss Adaline McAfee, a 
sister of his first wife. She was born in 
the state of Kentucky and her parents 
were numbered among the worthy pio- 
neers of Shelby county. She was sum- 
moned to the life eternal on the 28th of 
April, 1865, and of her four children 
three are now living — Oscar A., who is 
a representative farmer of Shelby coun- 
ty; Theodore P., who is the immediate 
subject of this review, and Warren E., 
who is engaged in farming in this coun- 
ty. In December, 1868, Preston Manuel 
contracted a third marriage, having been 
then united to Mrs. Delilah J. Garnett, 
whose maiden name was Delilah J. 
Wright, and who survives him, as do also 
their three daughters, all of whom reside 
in the city of Clarence. Mary E. remains 
with her widowed mother, Cora B. is now 
Mrs. Bart Holljonan and Lula P. resides 
at the maternal home. In politics the 
father was a staunch adherent of the 
Democratic party, taking a loyal inter- 
est in public affairs and being known as 
a citizen of sterling character, so that he 



310 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COFXTY 



commanded a secure place in popular 
confidence and esteem. He was a mem- 
ber of the Christian church and exem- 
plified his faith in his daily life. 

Theodore P. Manuel, whose name ini- 
tiates this article, secured his early edu- 
cational training- in the district schools 
of his native township and later sujj- 
plemented this discipline by a course of 
six months in Oaklawn College, at Nov- 
elty, Knox county, Missouri. Thereafter 
he put his scholastic acquirements to 
practical test and utilization by engaging 
as a teacher in the schools of his home 
county. He continued to follow the peda- 
gogic profession, teaching principally 
during the winter terms, for a period of 
five years, and in the meanwhile he did 
not sever his association with agricul- 
tural pursuits, under whose beneficent 
influences he had been reared. 

In 1883 Mr. Manuel purchased a gen- 
eral store at Leonard, Shelby county, 
where he continued in successful busi- 
ness for the ensuing sixteen years, in the 
meanwhile becoming the owner of a fine 
landed estate of 700 acres in Shelby 
county and devoting the same to general 
agriculture and the raising of high-grade 
live stock. In 1899 he disposed of his 
store and business at Leonard and there- 
after he devoted his entire attention to 
his farming interests until August, 1901, 
when he sold his live stock and removed 
to the city of Clarence. He still retains 
possession of a fine farm estate compris- 
ing 500 acres, and is also the owner of 
valuable realty in the city of Clarence. 
U]>on his removal to this city ^fr. Man- 
uel entered into partnershi]i with Rufus 
E. Dale, under the firm name of Dale & 
Manuel, and they built up an extensive 



business in the handling of real estate. 
This alliance continued until December, 
190-1, when the partnership was dissolved 
by mutual consent. In the meanwhile 
Mr. Manuel had also become interested 
in the Clarence Limiber Company, of 
which he was president and manager for 
one year. Upon the dissolution of the 
partnership mentioned he purchased a 
considerable block of the stock of the 
Citizens' Bank of Clarence, of which he 
became cashier, retaining this position 
until January, 1909, when he was elected 
president of the institution, an office of 
which he is now the able and popular in- 
cumbent. A brief sketch concerning this 
substantial banking concern is given on 
other pages of this work. 

^Ir. Manuel has ever been known as a 
loyal, progressive and public-spirited 
citizen, and he has so ordered his course 
as to retain the inviolable confidence and 
esteem of the people of the county in 
which his entire life thus far has been 
passed. In politics he gives an unquali- 
fied allegiance to the Democratic party, 
and he served as postmaster in the vil- 
lage of Leonard for four years, under the 
administration of President Cleveland. 
He also held the office of notary public 
under commission from six different gov- 
ernors of the state, retaining this office 
for a period of twenty-four years. Both 
he and his wife are zealous and devoted 
members of the Christian church, in 
which he has held official position contin- 
uously since he was seventeen years of 
age and in which he has served as Sun- 
day school superintendent for nearly a 
quarter of a century. 

On the 20th of February, 1879, was sol- 
emnized the marriage of Mr. ^Manuel to 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



311 



Miss Eicliard Ella Harrison, who was 
born in Kentucky, whence her parents, 
Richard H. and Laura W. (Magruder) 
Harrison, removed to Missouri when she 
was a child, the family settling in Shelby 
county, where her parents passed the 
residue of their lives. Mr. and Mrs. 
Manuel have one child, Mona M., who re- 
mains at the parental home, and who is 
one of the popular young women in the 
social life of the community. 

JAMES L. 'BRYAN. 

This enterprising and popular busi- 
ness man of Shelby county is proprietor 
of a well appointed general merchandise 
store in the village of Lentner and is a 
native son of Missouri. He is a son of 
George W. O 'Bryan, who is now a resi- 
dent of Lentner, where he is engaged in 
farming. 

James L. 'Bryan was born on the 
parental homestead farm, in Monroe 
comity, Missouri, July 12, 1883, and his 
educational training was secured in the 
district schools of Monroe and Shelby 
counties, Missouri, and the high school 
at Santa Ana, California. After leav- 
ing school he was associated with his 
father in the work and management of 
the home farm, near Lentner, Shelby 
county, and in 1907 he associated him- 
self with Dee Botkins in the general mer- 
chandise business in Lentner, the enter- 
prise being conducted under the firm 
name of Botkin & 'Bryan until July, 
1908, when Mr. 'Bryan purchased his 
partner's interest. Since that time he 
has individually conducted the business, 
in the management of which he has 
brought to bear the most progressive 



and up-to-date methods, keeping his es- 
tablishment well stocked in all depart- 
ments and offering to his large and ap- 
preciative patronage the most desirable 
bargains, while his genial personality 
and strict integrity in all his dealings 
have gained him the unqualified confi- 
dence and regard of the community. He 
is one of the popular and successful 
young business men of this section, and 
as a citizen shows a loyal interest in all 
that makes for the well-being of the com- 
munity. In politics Mr. 'Bryan is 
found enlisted as a staunch supporter of 
the principles of the Democratic party, 
and fraternally he is affiliated with the 
Modern Woodmen of America. 

On February 9, 1908, Mr. 'Bryan 
was united in marriage to Miss May 
Robinson, daughter of Joseph Robinson, 
of Clarence, Shelby county, and they 
have a winsome little daughter, Naoma 
Eloise. 

HENRY M. EATON. 

Mr. Eaton is a representative of one 
of the sterling i^ioneer families of Shelbj' 
county and is himself one of its repre- 
sentative and honored citizens. He is 
now living virtually retired from active 
business, in the attractive little village 
of Lentner, and is vice-president of the 
Bank of Lentner. 

Mr. Eaton was boru on a farm in what 
is now Salt River township, Shelby 
county, Missouri, February 8, 1842, and 
is a son of James M. and Caroline 
(Tobin) Eaton, the former of whom was 
born in Kentucky, September 30, 1816, 
and the latter of whom was liorn in the 
state of Virginia: their marriage was 
solemnized in Kentucky, April 2, 1840. 



312 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



James M. Eaton was reared and edu- 
cated in his native state and was a young 
man at the time of his removal to Mis- 
souri. He settled in Shelby county, 
where he secured a tract of land, prac- 
tically unimproved, and here he contin- 
ued to give his attention to farming and 
stock-raising until his death, which oc- 
curred April 16, 1853, on his old home- 
stead farm. He was a man of promi- 
nence and influence in the county in the 
early days, having served as county 
clerk and also as justice of the peace. 
He was a successful farmer and sterling 
citizen, and he was an influential factor 
in public affairs of a local order, having 
been one of the leaders in the ranks of 
the Democratic party in Shelby county. 
He enlisted for service in the Mexican 
war, and went to the front with a Mis- 
souri regiment. Both he and his wife 
were members of the Baptist church. 
She was summoned to the life eternal in 
1843, at which time she was about twen- 
ty-five years of age. They became the 
parents of two children, of whom the 
suljject of this sketch is the younger, and 
Ann E. died at the age of fifty-five years. 
Henry M. Eaton was born and lived on 
the old homestead farm of which men- 
tion has been made, until the death of 
his honored father, and was a lad of 
about ten years at the time. He ]iassed 
the ensuing four years in the home of 
his maternal grandfather and in the 
meanwhile continued his school work as 
o])i)ortunity afforded. After leaving 
schoiil lie continued to be actively identi- 
fied with agricultural pursuits, princi- 
))ally in the employ of others, for sev- 
eral years, and in 1862, loyal to the in- 
stitutions under which he had been 



reared, he tendered his services in de- 
fense of the cause of the Confederacy, 
enlisting in the regiment commanded by 
General Price and taking active part in 
a number of spirited .skirmishes and 
other minor engagements, including 
those at Shelbina, Silver Creek and Pea 
Ridge. He was mustered out and given 
an honorable discharge in the summer 
of 1863, and he then located upon a farm 
in Salt River township, this county, 
where ho engaged in fanning and stock- 
growing, and made a specialty of the 
handling of mules. In 1869 he removed 
to Monroe county and located in Holli- 
day, where he conducted a drug store 
and where he also had large farming in- 
terests. He continued liis residence in 
that county for a period of sixteen years, 
at the expiration of which he returned 
to Shelby county. Here he is still the 
owner of a fine farm of eighty acres, in 
Lentner township, besides a nice resi- 
dence ])roperty in the village of Lent- 
ner, where he has lived essentially re- 
tired since the year 1906. He was one 
of the incorporators of the Bank of 
Lentner, of which he i^ vice-president, 
and he has been a valued member of its 
board of directors from the time of its 
inception. Though never a seeker of 
public office he is aligned as a staimch 
advocate of the princijiles of the Demo- 
cratic party, and both he and his wife 
are zealous members of the Methodist 
Episcopal church. South. 

On February 12, 1867, was solemnized 
the marriage of Mr. Eaton to Miss Eliza- 
beth L. ]\[itchell, who was born in Ken- 
tucky and who was a child at the time 
of her ]iaronts' removal to ^lonroe 
county, Missouri, where they became 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



313 



pioneer settlers and where she was 
reared and educated. Mr. and Mrs. 
Eaton became the parents of seven chil- 
dren, and in conclusion of this brief 
sketch is entered record concerning the 
five who are living: James M. is a resi- 
dent of Meade county, Kansas; Charles 
H. is a resident of McAllister, Okla- 
homa ; Lillie is the wife of Peter 0. Scho- 
field, station agent of the Chicago & Rock 
Island railroad at Pleasant Hill, Mis- 
soui'i; Thomas T. is a successful farmer 
of Shelby county; and Birdie AV. is the 
wife of John Harris, of Guthrie, Okla- 
homa. 

HARDIN DOUGLASS. 

Now li\'ing retired in the village of 
Lakenan, Shelby county, is to be found 
this venerable and honored citizen, who 
is a member of one of the sterling pio- 
neer families of Missouri, which has 
been his home from the time of his na- 
tivity, and who gained definite success 
through his long association with the 
great basic art of agriculture. He has 
been a resident of Shelby county for 
nearly half a century, and has so ordered 
his life as to merit and receive the un- 
qualified confidence and regard of his 
fellow men. He was loyal to the cause 
of the Confederacy in the Civil war and 
served for a time as a valiant soldier in 
a Missouri regiment. 

Hardin Douglass was born in Howard 
county, this state, October 25, 1832, and 
is a son of Edward and Dysie (Green) 
Douglass, the former of whom was born 
in Tennessee and the latter in Madison 
county, Kentucky, where their marriage 
was solemnized. Edward Douglass took 
up his residence in Missouri in the year 



1820, settling first in Boone county, 
whence he later removed to Howard 
coimty, where he became one of the pio- 
neers. He secured a tract of wild land 
and effected its reclamation, becoming 
one of the prosperous farmers and in- 
fluential citizens of that section, and con- 
tinuing to maintain his home on the farm 
until the outbreak of the Civil war, when 
he removed to the village of Palmyra, 
where he lived retired until his death, 
which occurred in tlie year 1876. His 
wife passed away in 1880, both having 
been zealous members of the Methodist 
Ejiiscopal church, South. Of their 
eleven children onlj^ three are now liv- 
ing, and of the number the subject of 
this sketch is the eldest; Lula is the wife 
of Henry Green, of Monroe county, this 
state; and Joel A. maintains his home 
in Boone county. 

Hardin Douglass was reared to the 
sturdy and invigorating discipline of the 
farm and was aflforded the advantages 
of the common schools of the pioneer 
days in Howard county. After attain- 
ing years of maturity he continued to 
be identified with the great basic art of 
agriculture and remained a resident of 
his native county until the climacteric 
period of the Civil war. In 1863 he ten- 
dered his aid in defense of the Confed- 
erate cause, enlisting as a private in 
Company I, Missouri Infantry, which 
became a part of the command of Gen- 
eral Clark. Mr. Douglass participated 
in engagements at Kansas City and Lit- 
tle Blue, Missouri, besides a number of 
skirmishes, and then proceeded with his 
regiment into the Indian Nation, where 
the regiment disbanded after he had 
been in service about eight months. He 



314 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



returned to his home in Howard county, 
but in the year 1864- he removed to 
Shelby county. He became the owner 
of a good farm in Jackson township and 
devoted his attention to diversified ag- 
riculture and stock-growing until 1874, 
when he disposed of his farming inter- 
ests and took up his residence in Lake- 
nan, in which village he is now living. 
For the past few years he has lived vir- 
tuallj' retired from active business, and, 
now venerable in years, he is able to 
enjoy the generous rewards of former 
years of earnest toil and endeavor, the 
while he has the gratifying associations 
implied in the companionship of old and 
loyal friends and the high regard of the 
entire community which has so long rep- 
resented his home. He has ever been 
a stalwart advocate of the principles of 
the Democratic party and has taken an 
intelligent and loj-al interest in the is- 
sues and questions of the hour and in all 
that has tended to conserve the material 
and civic progress of his home county 
and state. Both he and his wife have 
long been consistent and active members 
of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
South. 

In September, 1854, Mr. Douglass was 
united in marriage to Miss Sarah An- 
drews, whose death occurred in 1869. 
They became the parents of five children, 
all of whom are living, namely: Calvin, 
who is a representative farmer of Shelby 
coimty; Rhoda, who is the wife of Peter 
Chapman, of ^Monroe county; Isabelle, 
who is the wife of Alonzo Bobbins, of 
Monroe county; Elizabeth, who is the 
wife of Charles Kobbius, of Shelby 
county; and IMinerva, who is the wife 
of John McClosky, of Monroe county. 



In December, 1870, Mr. Douglass con- 
tracted a second marriage, being then 
united to Miss Anna E. Andrews, of 
Howard county, and of their four chil- 
dren two are living. Flavins, who is en- 
gaged in farming in Shelby county, and 
Jason, who is a successful business man 
of the village of Lakenan, this county. 

JAMES F. HARRISON. 

It is most consonant that in this pub- 
lication be entered a brief review of the 
career of Mr. Harrison, who has been 
prominently identified with the agricul- 
tural industry and other productive lines 
of enterprise in this section of Missouri, 
which state has represented his home 
from the time of his birth, and who is 
not only a member of one of the old and 
honored families of this fine common- 
wealth of the Union, but is also one of 
the popular and influential citizens of 
Shelby county. He is still actively con- 
cerned with farming and stock-growing 
in this county, but maintains his home 
in the thriving and attractive little city 
of Shelbina, where he is the owner of 
valuable real estate, including his fine 
residence property. 

Mr. Harrison was born on the paren- 
tal homestead farm in Monroe county, 
Missoiiri, seven miles southeast of Shel- 
bina, April 18, 1856. His father, Fran- 
cis M. Harrison, was a native of Ken- 
tucky, where he was born June 8, 1827, 
and in 1830, when he was about three 
years of age, his parents removed from 
the Bluegrass state to Missouri and 
settled near the town of Old Clinton, 
Monroe county, where lie was reared to 
manhood and given such scholastic ad- 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



315 



vantages as were offered in the some- 
wliat primitive common schools of the 
pioneer days. He continued to be con- 
cerned witli farming interests in Mon- 
roe county until 1857, when he removed 
to Shelby county, where he operated a 
good farm in Salt River township. He 
was a man of broad and mature judg- 
ment, distinctive energy and good busi- 
ness ability, and thus he gained a success 
worthy of the name, while he ever held 
as his own the inviolable confidence and 
esteem of the people of this section of 
the state. He was long one of the rep- 
resentative farmers and stock-growers 
of Shelby county, and he also gained a 
wide reputation as an auctioneer, in 
which capacity his services were much 
in requisition. In 1876 he was elected 
sheriff and tax collector of Shelby 
county, in which dual office he served 
for two consecutive terms, and in which 
his administration met with unqualified 
popular aj^proval. His death occurred 
March 9, 1908. He had the elements of 
character that ever beget popular trust 
and esteem, and no citizen of Shelby 
county had a wider circle of friends than 
did he. He was a most zealous worker 
in behalf of the cause of the Democratic 
jiarty and was recognized as one of its 
leaders in this section of the state. He 
was a charter member of the Methodist 
Episcojjal church, South, in Shelbina, 
and both he and his wife were devoted 
workers in the various departments of 
its service. 

In 1848 was solemnized the marriage 
of Francis M. Harrison to Miss Nancy 
M. Collins, who was born and reared in 
Monroe county, this state, and whose 
father, the late James Collins, was one 



of the honored pioneers of this section 
of the state. Mrs. Harrison survives 
her husband and maintains her home in 
the city of Shelbina. Of their seven 
children four are living, namely: Jo- 
sephine, who is the wife of Robert V. 
Taylor, of Marshall, Missouri; Charles 
J., who is a prosperous business man 
of Clayton, this state; James F., who 
is the immediate subject of this sketch; 
and Norah, who is the wife of Albert 
S. Arnold, of East St. Louis, Illinois. 

James F. Harrison was an infant at 
the time of the family removal from 
Monroe county to Shelby county, and he 
was reared to maturity on the old home- 
stead farm three miles northeast of Shel- 
bina, in Salt River township. After 
completing the curriculum of the district 
scJiools he was enabled to continue his 
studies in the public schools of the vil- 
lage of Shelbina, and after completing 
his school work he assisted his father 
in the operation and management of the 
home farm and also in the affairs of the 
office of sheriff and tax collector. Be- 
sides having held these offices his father 
also served for some time as constable 
of Salt River township. From his youth 
to the present time Mr. Harrison has 
given his allegiance to the great basic 
industries of farming and stock-grow- 
ing, and in this connection he has gained 
distinctive success and prestige, as had 
also his honored father, under whose 
able and kindly instruction he was 
trained in a most thorough and effective 
way. He is the owner of a well improved 
farm of 130 acres, in Salt River town- 
ship, and gives to the same a general 
personal supervision, though he has 
maintained his residence in Shelbina 



316 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



since 1905. For five years he was suc- 
cessfully engaged in business as a Iniyer 
and shipper of grain, at Clarence, this 
county, and he still devotes considerable 
attention to this line of enterprise. Mr. 
Harrison clings to the political faith in 
which he was reared and is a staunch 
advocate of the generic principles for 
which the Democratic party ever has 
stood sponsor. Both he and his wife 
are members of the ]\Ietliodist Episcopal 
church. South, and he is affiliated with 
the Shelbina camp of the Modern Wood- 
men of America. 

On April 18, 1878, was solemnized the 
marriage of Mr. Harrison to Miss Laura 
B. Penn, of Shel])yville, this county, a 
daughter of Rev. William Penn, who was 
a prominent and influential minister of 
the Methodist Episcopal church, South. 
Of the four children of this union, three 
are living — Ernest, M'ho is engaged as 
engineer on the Santa Pe at Marcelene, 
Missouri; William Penn, a farmer; and 
Howard, also railroading. The family is 
one whose members are distinctively 
popular in the community and the at- 
tractive home is a center of gracious 
hospitality. 

JOHN FREDERICK BURCKHARDT. 

John Frederick Burckhardt passed his 
boyhood and youth on the home farm and 
early began to assist in its work, in the 
meanwhile duly availing himself of the 
advantages of the district school of the 
neighborhood. Later he continued his 
studies in the public schools of the vil- 
lage of Leonard. He left school at the 
age of nineteen years and thereafter he 
continued to be identified willi the work 



and management of liis father's farm 
until 1902, when he purchased sixty acres 
of land in section 17 of his native town- 
ship and initiated independent opera- 
tions as a farmer and stock-grower. His 
early experience and consequent inti- 
mate knowledge of these two basic lines 
of industry enabled him to direct his 
energies with marked discrimination, 
and the result has been that his success 
has been of pronounced order. To his 
original tract he has added until he now 
has a well improved farm estate of two 
hundred and ten acres, of which one hun- 
dred and eighty acres are maintained 
under effective cultivation. His home- 
stead has excellent buildings and the able 
management that he gives to his farm is 
well shown in its general air of thrift 
and prosjierity. Mr. Burckhardt was 
reared in the faith of the Republican 
l)arty and has never deviated therefrom 
since attaining to the right of franchise. 
Like his jiarents he is a member of the 
Presbyterian church, and in the same 
both he and his wife are zealous workers. 
They have a wide circle of friends in 
tlieir home county and their home is one 
of gracious hosjntality and refined at- 
mosphere. In a fraternal way he is 
affiliated with the lodge of Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows at Bethel, this 
county. 

On the 19th of Ai)ril, 1902, was re- 
corded the marriage of John Frederick 
Burckhardt to Miss Minnie E. Baker, 
who was born in Washington county, 
Ohio, on the 30th of October, 1879, and 
who came with her parents to Shelby 
coimty. Missouri, when a child. She is 
a daughter of Leander and Su.sana (Mc- 
Cammon) Baker, the former of whom 



HISTOUY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



3ir 



was born in Peuusylvauia and the latter 
in Ireland. They are now residents of 
Shelby county, where Mr. Baker is a suc- 
cessful farmer. Mr and Mrs. Burckhardt 
have one child, Burdett Frederick, who 
was born in December, 1904. 

RICHARD COLLIER. 

The subject of this sketch is one of 
the best known and most highly es- 
teemed citizens of his native county and 
city, and is at the present time incum- 
bent of the position of postmaster of 
Shelbyville, of which city he was for- 
merly mayor and in which he has held 
other olKces of trust, betokening the high 
regard of the people of the community 
in which practically his entire life has 
been passed. He is a member of one of 
the old and honored pioneer families of 
this section of the state, and thus there 
are many elements which render con- 
sistent a review of his personal career 
and genealogical data in this publication. 

Richard Collier was born in Shelby- 
ville, Missouri, November 25, 1849, and 
is a sou of James M. and Catherine B. 
(Gooch) Collier, both of whom were born 
in the state of Kentucky, whence their 
respective parents moved to Missouri in 
an early day. AVilliam Collier, grand- 
father of the subject of this review, was 
likewise a native of Kentucky, and he 
passed the closing years of his life in 
Grandy county, Missouri, where he de- 
veloped a farm and was a well known 
pioneer. James M. Collier was reared 
to maturity in Missouri, where he re- 
ceived a common-school education and 
where he learned iri his youth the trade 
of brickmason, which he followed for 



some time, later becoming a successful 
contractor in connection with his trade. 
Just before the inception of the Civil 
war he settled on a farm near Oakdale, 
Shelby county, where the family home 
was maintained for several years. He 
finally took up his residence in Shelby- 
ville, where he built up a successful con- 
tracting business in the erection o f 
lu-ick buildings and other structures, and 
he was among the early incumbents of 
the office of sheriff of Shelby county. He 
was one of the argonauts who made their 
way to California during the memorable 
gold excitement of 1849 and succeeding 
years, and he made a very successful 
venture in taking mules across the plains 
to the mining districts, where he dis- 
posed of the animals at a large profit. 
He was identified with gold mining in 
California about four years and was 
very successful in his operations. 

James Collier manifested unqualified 
loyalty to the Union at the time of the 
Civil war. He enlisted in 1861, in re- 
sponse to President Lincoln's first call 
for volunteers, becoming a member of 
a Missouri regiment and continuing in 
active service during practically the en- 
tire period of the great internecine con- 
flict, within which he partici]iated in a 
large numl)er of the im]iortant battles 
on the sanguinary fields of the South. 
He was made captain of his company, 
and his regiment was commanded l)y 
Col. B. F. Benjamin. He continued 
throughout life to manifest a deep in- 
terest in his old comrades, though for- 
getting the animosities engendered of 
the great war between the states, and he 
was a popular and honored member of 
the Grand Army of the Reiniblic. In 



318 



HISTOKY UF SHELBY COUXTY 



politics lie was aligued as a stauueh sup- 
porter of the cause of the Republican 
party from the time of its organization 
until his death, and he held membership 
also in the Masonic fraternity. He was 
a man of exalted integritj' of character, 
was a devout and zealous worker in con- 
nection with religious activities and was 
one of the pillars of the Christian church 
in Shelbyville, of which he was a charter 
member and in which he served as an 
elder for many years prior to his death, 
which occurred in the year 1899, his de- 
voted wife having preceded him to the 
life eternal by more than a decade. He 
was the foremost factor in connection 
with the founding of the church men- 
tioned and was active in all departments 
of its work. He ordered his life upon 
the highest plane of honor and fidelity, 
and held the fullest measure of popular 
confidence and regard. He was a suc- 
cessful business man and was a stock- 
holder of the Citizens' Bank of Shelby- 
ville at the time of his demise. Of his 
ten children, five are now living, namely: 
Susan, who is the wife of Henry G. Mil- 
ler, of Shelby county ; Sarah, who is the 
wife of Oliver P. Robinson, of Quincy, 
Illinois; Laura, who is the wife of M. E. 
■McMaster, likewise of Quincy, Illinois; 
Richard, who is the immediate subject 
of this sketch; and Edwin E., who is a 
representative farmer of Shelby county. 
Richard Collier is indebted to the 
schools of Shelbyville for his early edu- 
cational discipline, and after leaving 
school he was associated with his father 
in the work and management of the 
home farm for two years. He then 
served a %artual apprenticeship at the 
carpenter's trade, in which be became a 



skilled workman, and he followed the 
work of his trade, doing a general con- 
tracting business, for a period of about 
six years, after which he conducted a 
meat market in Shelbyville for about 
five years. Upon retiring from this line 
of enterprise he established himself in 
the furniture business in this city, con- 
tinuing the same imtil September, 1902, 
when he became a carrier on one of the 
rural free mail delivery routes from 
Shelbyville, continuing to be thus en- 
gaged for five years, at the expiration 
of which, in February, 1908, under the 
administration of President Roosevelt, 
he received his commission as postmas- 
ter of Shelbyville, of which office he has 
since continued incumbent. He has done 
much to improve the service of this of- 
fice and his administration of its affairs 
has met with marked popular commen- 
dation. Mr. Collier has long been in- 
fluential in public affairs of a local order 
and is known as a loyal and progressive 
citizen. He served some years as a mem- 
ber of the board of aldermen of Shelbj'- 
ville, was city treasurer for four years, 
and in 1896 was elected mayor, remain- 
ing in tenure of this chief executive of- 
fice of the munici]ial govei-nment for two 
terms. His political proclivities are in- 
dicated in the staimch allegiance which 
he accords to the Republican party, and 
he has been an active worker in its cause. 
He and his wife are zealous members 
of the Christian church and he is affili- 
ated with the Shelbyville lodge of the 
Indei^endent Order of Odd Fellows. 

On November 24, 1879, was solemnized 
the marriage of Mr. Collier to Miss Mar- 
tha Bigelow, who was born in the state 
of Indiana and who was a child at the 



V 







"^ / 

/ 



PRINCE DIMMITT 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



3V.) 



time of the family removal to Missouri. 
She is a daughter of the late AVilliam 
Bigelow, who was a successful farmer 
of Shelby county. Mr. and Mrs. Collier 
became the parents of nine children, all 
of whom are living except two, one who 
died at the age of thirteen years and the 
other an infant. Edwin W. is now a 
resident of Washington; Earl Sheldon 
is engaged in merchandising in Shelby 
county ; Morte maintains his home in the 
mining city of Anaconda, Montana ; and 
Gleeta, IMaude, Jeanette and Clara re- 
main at the parental home. 

PEINCE DIMMITT. 

The adaptability of the American mind 
to various pursuits and different lines of 
thought and action is well illustrated in 
the career of Prince Dimmitt, of Shelby- 
ville. He has been successively a farmer, 
business man and banker, and has been 
masterful in each undertaking, compell- 
ing Fortune to wait upon his will and 
minister to his triumphs by the force of 
his character, his business acimien and 
his comprehensive breadth and readiness 
of view. He has been quick to see and 
alert to seize opportunities for his ad- 
vancement, and has had the ability and 
the industry to make the most of them 
when he has embraced them. 

Mr. Uimmitt was born in Cooper coim- 
ty, Missouri, on July .30, 1860, and was 
brought to Shelby county when he was 
but six months old. his parents becoming 
residents of this county at that time. He 
is a son of Dr. Dimmitt, now deceased, a 
sketch of whose life will be found else- 
where in this volume. Destined for an 
exalted place in the financial and busi- 



ness circles of the county, Mr. Dimmitt 
grew to manhood among its people and 
was edxicated in the public schools of 
Shelbyville, completing the high school 
course and being graduated from the 
high school in that city. 

After leaving school he turned his at- 
tention to farming, although he had a 
leaning to business pursuits. But he lost 
nothing by the venture, as he applied his 
business instincts to his farming opera- 
tions and made them highly successful. 
Tn 1878 he entered into partnership with 
his older brother Frank in the manage- 
ment of an extensive farm, and they con- 
ducted its operations together until 1881. 
He then bought his brother's interest in 
the property, and from that time until 
1898 farmed alone. He made his farm 
one of the best in the county and reaped 
the reward of his enterprise and industry 
in doing this when he came to sell the 
place a few months ago, receiving 
$112.50 an acre for it, the highest price 
ever paid for farm land in the part of 
the county in which it is located. 

In 1893 he was chosen vice-president 
of the Bank of Shelbyville, and five years 
later gave up farming and removed to 
Shelbw\'ille. where he has ever since re- 
sided. In 1902 he rose by the choice of 
the directors to the presidency of the 
bank, and he has ably and ]irogressively 
filled that position until the present time 
(1911). Under his vigorous and enter- 
prising management the institution has 
made great progress, adding considerably 
to the volume of its business and the 
number and consequence of its patrons. 
It is known as one of the soundest and 
best managed financial institutions in 
this part of the state and has a high rank 



3U0 



HISTOIJY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



in banking- circles in all parts of many 
neiglil)oriug- states. Conducting a general 
banking business embracing all the de- 
sirable features of present-day banking, 
it seeks to meet all requirements in the 
way of accommodation to the community 
and its people and aid in every way 
available to it in the progress and devel- 
opment of the coimty. And that it is 
succeeding in these endeavors is shown 
by the extent of its operations and the 
high regard in which it is held by all 
classes of the people. 

Mr. Dimmitt was married on March 
17, 1881, to Miss Cora E. Schotield, a 
daughter of Ellis and Elizabeth (Bax- 
ter) Schofield, of Palmyra, Missouri. 
The seven children that have blessed 
their union and brightened their house- 
hold are all living. They are: Nora L., 
the wife of Wallace Quinsenberry, of Mo- 
berly, Missouri; Edith B., a teacher in 
the public schools in the state of Utah; 
Cora L., the wife of Robert Maupin, of 
Kansas City, Missouri, and Eula S., Wil- 
liam P. E., Prince H., Jr.. and Fannie 
Agee, all of whom are still members of 
the parental family circle. 

With a broad enduring interest in the 
welfare of the masses of the ])eople, and 
l)elieving firmly in their right to a con- 
trolling voice in the public affairs of the 
country, Mr. Dimmitt has been a life- 
long Democrat, zealous and etfective in 
the service of his party and holding high 
rank in its councils in the county. His 
religious affiliation is with the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, South, and he takes 
an active and serviceable interest in its 
affairs, being one of the trustees of the 
congregation to which he belongs and a 
teacher in its Sundav school. Well es- 



teemed as a man and social companion, 
standing high as a citizen, and exhibiting 
on all occasions a deep and practical in- 
terest in the welfare of the whole coimty 
and all its people, he is one of its most 
worthy, popular and representative men. 

JOHN J. HEWITT. 

The president of the Citizens' Bank 
of Shelbyville has been a resident of 
Shelby county from the time of his na- 
tivity, is a member of one of the hon- 
ored pioneer families of this favored 
section of the state, and in both busi- 
ness and civic affairs he has ever stood 
exponent of the highest type of citizen- 
ship, the while he has commanded to 
the fullest extent the high regard of the 
])eople of the community which has ever 
represented his home. 

John J. Hewitt was born on the old 
homestead farm in Bethel t o w n sh i p, 
Shelby county, Missouri, February 24, 
184-9, and is a son of Samuel M. and 
Caroline (Morgan) Hewitt, both natives 
of Kentucky, where the former was born 
in the year 1800 and the latter in 1810. 
The father was reared and educated in 
his native state, where he continued to 
reside until 1836, when he removed to 
Missouri and took up his abode in Ma- 
rion county. In the following year he 
came to Shelby county, where he secured 
a tract of land, upon which practically 
no improvements had been made, and 
there instituted the work of developing 
a farm. He became eventually one of 
the leading farmers of the county, where 
he accumulated a fine landed estate of 
260 acres in Bethel township, and he con- 
tinued to reside on his homestead until 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



321 



his death, iu 1871. He was a man of 
promiueuce and influence iu his commu- 
nity, was a staunch Democrat in his po- 
litical adherencj', and he was a worthy 
and zealous member of the Cumberland 
Presbyterian church, and his wife was 
a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, South. Their marriage was sol- 
emnized in the state of Kentucky. Mrs. 
Hewitt was summoned to the life eternal 
in the year 1894. They became the par- 
ents of ten children, and concerning the 
seven now living the following brief data 
are given: Eussell is a resident of 
Guthrie, Oklahoma, where he is engaged 
in business; Samuel M. is a successful 
farmer of Shelby county; Luther G. is 
engaged in the real estate business in 
Shelbyville; Missouri is the wife of 
Jacob Curry and they reside in the east- 
ern part of the state of Colorado ; John 
J. is the immediate subject of this re- 
view ; Isabelle is the widow of Frank M. 
Magruder and maintains her home in 
Shelby county; and Virginia is the wife 
of John W. Howe, of this county. 

John J. Hewitt was reared on the old 
home farm, in whose work he early 
began to lend his aid, and his rudimen- 
tary education was secured in the coun- 
try schools,, after which he continued his 
studies in the high school of Shelbyville. 
He made good use of his opportunities 
and proved himself eligible for peda- 
gogic honors, as he had devoted no little 
time to the study of the higher branches 
in a private wax. He was known as a 
successful and popular teacher in the 
public schools during a jieriod of ten 
years, and during the last two years of 
this interval he was princi]inl of the vil- 



lage schools of Newark, Knox county, 
jMissouri. 

In 1880 Mr. Hewitt engaged iu the 
general merchandise business in Shelby- 
ville, where he built up a large and sub- 
stantial trade, becoming one of the lead- 
ing merchants of this thriving little city, 
where he continued operations in . this 
line for a period of nine years, or until 
1894, when he became one of the organ- 
izers and incorporators of the Citizens' 
Bank of Shelbyville, of which he has 
since been president and to whose up- 
building his personal popularity and 
able services have been largely contribu- 
tory. A brief record concerning this 
well ordered and successful financial in- 
stitution is given on other pages of this 
work. Mr. Hewitt now devotes himself 
largely to the active supervision of the 
executive affairs of the bank, and he is 
a citizen who manifests at all times a 
deep and helpful interest in all measures 
that tend to advance the welfare and 
progress of his home city and county. 

In politics Mr. Hewitt is a staunch 
su]iporter of the cause of the Democratic 
party, and he has been called upon to 
serve in various positions of distinctive 
public trust. He was elected county 
school commissioner in 1890 and retained 
this incumbency for two years, within 
which he was most zealous and efficient 
in furthering educational interests in his 
jurisdiction. In 1892 he was elected 
county treasurer, of which office he re- 
mained in tenure for four years and in 
which he gave an admirable and ]iopular 
administration of the fiscal affairs of the 
county. He also served four years as 
mavor of Shellivville after a regime 



322 



HISTOriY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



marked by the strictest business meth- 
ods and the most progressive policies. 
He has been active in the work of his 
political party in his native county, and 
is well fortified in his convictions as to 
matters of public polity. He is afiBliated 
with the Masonic fraternity, in which he 
is identified with the lodge and chapter 
in Shelbyville, and both he and his wife 
are devoted and zealous members of the 
Methodist Episcopal church. South. In 
the Shelbyville church of Ibis denomina- 
tion he has held tJie position of Sunday- 
school superintendent for thirty years, 
and he is also actively concerned in all 
other departments of the church work. 

On May .31, 1881, was solemnized the 
marriage of Mr. Hewitt to Miss Lillian 
Turner, who was born and reared in 
Shelby comity, where her father, the late 
Halman Turner, was a successful farmer 
and honored and influential citizen. Mr. 
and IMrs. Hewitt have four children, 
namel}': Esta, who is the wife of Roy 
L. Dimmitt, of Birmingham, Alabama, 
where he is superintendent of manual 
training in the public schools. Mrs. Dim- 
mitt is a graduate of the Howard Payne 
College of Missouri. John Vance, who 
is attending the law department of Co- 
lumbia University of New York; Floyd, 
who is now attending the State Univer- 
sity of ^rissouri, and Cresap, who re- 
main at the parental home. 

THE CITIZENS' BANK OF 
SHELBYVILLE. 

There is no one factor that deter- 
mines with so much of jxtsitive emphasis 
the status of the business and general 
prosperity of a community as the extent 



and character of its banking institutions, 
and in this regard the financial interests 
of Shelby county are reposed in banks 
of ample capital and wise and conserva- 
tive management, as well as by the en- 
listment of the support of citizens of the 
highest character and most thoroughly 
representative influence. 

The Citizens ' Bank of S h e 1 b y v i 1 1 e 
holds prestige as one of the substantial 
and ably directed financial institutions 
of the county, and though its age is com- 
paratively represented by al)out half a 
decade, its effective policy and the per- 
sonnel of its executive coi-ps have gained 
to it an impi'egnable standing in the 
confidence and support of the commun- 
ity. The charter of the bank was 
granted in April, 1894, and it opened its 
doors for business on the 1st of the fol- 
lowing month. It is incorporated with 
a capital stock of $20,000 and the oi'igi- 
nal board of directors comprised the fol- 
lowing named citizens : John J. Hewitt, 
Alonzo Cooper, James T. Lloyd, James 
L. Feely, James Edelen, William A. 
Hughes aufl James M. Gentry. The per- 
sonnel of the executive corps at the ini- 
tiation of business was as follows : John 
J. Hewitt, president; James T. Lloyd, 
vice-president ; and William W. Mitchell, 
cashier. Mr. Hewitt has retained the 
presidency to the present time and ]\Ir. 
]\ritchell served twelve years and was 
succeeded by James ^I. Pickett, besides 
being secretary of the board of directors, 
which now includes, besides these two 
officers, the following named citizens: 
Alonzo Cooper, who is now vice-presi- 
dent; John W. Frye, Theo. B. Damrell 
and Mrs. Nanie Terrell. 



HISTOHY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



323 



JOHN T. PERRY. 

Judge Perry is another of the honored 
citizens contributed to Shelby county by 
the fine old Blueg-rass state, whence have 
come many whose names have been 
prominently identified with the annals of 
Missouri history. Judge Perry has fol- 
lowed various lines of activity and has 
ever stood representative of the most 
loyal and useful citizenship. He served 
on the bench of the County court for six 
years, has held the office of county clerk 
for twelve years, and is at the present 
time (1909) representative of Shelby 
county in the state legislature, to which 
he was elected in the autumn of 1908. 
As a lawyer, judge, teacher in the public 
schools and business man he has acquit- 
ted himself well, and the diversity of his 
services bears evidence of his versatility 
and also stands as voucher of the trust 
reposed in him in the county which has 
represented his home for more than 
thirty-eight years. He is now living vir- 
tually retired in the city of Shelbyville. 

Judge Perry is a native of Anderson 
county, Kentucky, where he was bovu 
on July 22, 1850, and he is a scion of a 
family early founded in Virginia, the 
fine Old Dominion that cradled so much 
of our national history. In that state 
was born his grandfather, William 
Perry, who was a youth at the time of 
the family removal to Kentucky, with 
whose pioneer history the name became 
intimately identified. The .iudge is a son 
of Berry and Polly (Searcy) Perry, both 
of whom were born and reared in Ken- 
tucky, where their marriage was sol- 
emnized in the year 1849. The father 
was born on June 7, 182fi, and is still 



living, maintaining his home with his 
son Alfred on the old farmstead which 
he secured nearly forty years ago and 
which has since continued as his place of 
aliode. He has attained to the venerable 
age of nearly eighty-four years and is 
admirably preserved in both his mental 
and physical faculties, while he has the 
respect and esteem that have been gained 
by righteousness of life and that are the 
grateful concomitants of worthy old age. 
His cherished and devoted wife died 
in September 1898. Berry Perry de- 
voted practically his entire active career 
to the great basic industry of agricul- 
ture, with the allied enterprise of stock- 
growing. He came to Missouri in the 
year 1871 and purchased a farm in 
Jackson township, Shelby county, where 
he continued to be successfully engaged 
in general farming and stock-growing 
until 1895, when lie sold his farm to his 
son Alfred, who now operates the same. 
He, himself, continued to reside on the 
homestead, as already noted. He is an 
honored veteran of the Mexican war, in 
whicli he served in the command of Gen. 
Zachary Taylor, and in the company of 
which John H. McBrier was captain. 
This Kentucky regiment saw much active 
service and he continued with the same 
imtil the battle of Buena Vista, in which 
he was so sevei-ely woimded as to in- 
ea]iacitate him for further service, 
whereupon he was granted his honorable 
discharge. During the Civil war his 
sympathies were with the cause of tiie 
South. He is one of the now compara- 
tively few Mexican war veterans still 
living in Missouri. Tn politics lie has 
('V(>r rendered a staunch allegiance to 
the Democratic pai'ty, and he has long 



324 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



been a consistent member of the Baptist 
church, of which his wife also was a de- 
vout adherent. They became the i^arents 
of twelve children, of whom the subject 
of this sketch is the eldest of the six now 
living: George W., now deceased, was a 
resident of Hunnewell, this state ; Alfred 
resides on the old homestead, as already 
stated; William is a resident of Eneho, 
Oldahoma; Sarah Belle is the wife of 
Wesley Barker, of Shelby county; 
Charles is now a resident of Oakdale; 
and Nannie G. is the wife of William F. 
Kincheloe, of Shelby county, Missouri. 
John T. Perry, the immediate subject 
of this review, received his educational 
discipline in the public schools of his na- 
tive county, including a course in the 
special school of higher academic order 
maintained in the Camden district. That 
he did not neglect the advantages thus 
afforded him is evidenced in the fact 
that he became a successful teacher, hav- 
ing been employed as such in the com- 
mon schools of his native state from 
1867 until 1872, in which latter year he 
joined his parents in Missouri. There- 
after he taught in the schools of Shelby 
and Monroe counties at intervals until 
1884, becoming one of the successful and 
popular ex]ionents of the pedagogic pro- 
fession in this section of the state. In 
the meanwhile he had taken up his resi- 
dence on a farm in the vicinity of Hun- 
newell, Shelby county, and he continued 
to be identified with agricultural pur- 
suits in this county for many years, hav- 
ing sold his farm in Jackson township 
in 1904. In 1880 he was elected judge of 
the County court, retaining this incum- 
bency for six years and giving an ad- 
mirable adiiiiiiisti'ation. Tn tiio mean- 



while he also taught school and gave a 
general supervision to his farm. In 
1880) he was elected county clerk, in 
which office he served for three succes- 
sive terms, within which he did much to 
systematize the work of the office and 
bring it up to a high standard of effi- 
ciency. During his tenure of this po- 
sition he devoted careful attention to the 
study of law and he was admitted to the 
bar in 1898, after which he was engaged 
in the general practice of his profession 
in Shell-n^dlle for a period of five years, 
controlling a successful business and 
having a representative clientele. Upon 
his retirement from practice he engaged 
in the hardware business in this city in 
partnership with his son John 0.. with 
whom he was thus associated until 1906, 
when they sold the business. He was one 
of the organizers and incorporators of 
the Bank of Lentner, in the village of 
Lentner, this county, and served as its 
cashier for several months. In 1908 he 
was elected representative of Shelby 
county in the state legislature, and he 
has proved an able, conscientious and 
discriminating legislator. He has given 
loyal service in behalf of the cause of 
the Democratic party and is an able ex- 
ponent of its principles and policies. 
Judge Perry and his wife are zealous 
members of the Baptist church in their 
home city and he is affiliated with St. 
iVndrews Lodge, No. 96, Free and Ac- 
cepted ]\rasons, and with the local lodge 
of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
lows. 

On September 4. 1873, was solemnized 
the marriage of Judge Perry to Miss 
Eosa A. Snider, who was born and 
reared in Shelbv countv and who is a 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



325 



daughter of the late John S. Snider, 
who was a representative merchant and 
farmer of the coimty. To Judge and 
Mrs. Perry were born seven children, 
of whom five are living, namely: Mary 
M., who is the wife of Prof. Ira Eich- 
ardson, a member of the faculty of the 
Missouri State Normal School at Spring- 
field; IMargaret M., who remains at the 
parental home; John O., who is engaged 
in fanning at Epworth; Myrtle, who is 
the wife of H. G. Kellogg, of Kirksville, 
this state; and Clarence, who remains 
with his parents and is attending the 
public schools. 

JAMES :\1. FREEMAN. 

This well known and highly esteemed 
citizen of Shelb^-^'ille is a native son of 
Shelby county, with whose annals the 
name has been identified for more than 
three-quarters of a century, implying 
that the family was here founded in the 
pioneer days. He is known as one of 
the aggressive, energetic and successful 
business men and loyal and progressive 
citizens of the county, and is now en- 
gaged in the jewelry business in Shelby- 
ville, of which city he served as post- 
master for more than a decade. Such is 
his standing in the community that a 
work of this nature most consistently 
may give brief record of his career, thus 
paying a slight tribute to a worthy citi- 
zen who has contributed generously to 
the industrial, commercial and civic 
progress of his home city and county. 

James M. Freeman was born on the 
homestead farm of his parents, in Black 
Creek township, Shelby county, Missouri, 
on March 19, 18r)2, and is a son of James 



M. and Nannie (Blackford) Freeman, 
the former of whom was born in the 
state of Kentucky, in 1832, and the latter 
of whom was born in Shelby county, 
Missouri, in 1838, being a daughter of 
Hardin Blackford, an honored pioneer 
of this section of the state. In 1844, 
when James M. Freeman, Sr., was a lad 
of about twelve years, his parents re- 
moved from Kentucky to Missouri and 
took up their residence in Marion county, 
where his father secured a tract of wild 
land and engaged in general agricultural 
pursuits. About four years later, in the 
memorable year 1849, young James 
M. Freeman, who was then seventeen 
years of age, joined the hegira to 
California, whither so many ambitious 
and intrepid argonauts were wending 
their way in search of gold. Mr. Free- 
man made the long, tedious and perilous 
trip across the plains and passed four 
years in California, where he did a suc- 
cessful teaming business among the vari- 
ous mining camps and where he also met 
with no little success in his own mining 
operations. After his return to Mis- 
souri he was associated in the work and 
management of his father's farm, in 
Marion county, until the time of his mar- 
riage in 1854, when he removed to Shelby 
county and purchased a farm in Black 
Creek township, where he passed the 
residue of his long and useful life, be- 
coming one of the representative agri- 
culturists and stock-growers of the 
coimty and a citizen whose influence was 
always exerted in support of all that 
makes for the best in social and material 
affairs. He became the owner of a 
landed estate of 1,000 acres, and the fine 
old homestead bears todav unmistakable 



326 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



evidences of his thrift and well directed 
industry. He was summoned to his re- 
ward on May 8, 1891. His wife is still 
living. In 23olitics he was a staunch and 
intelligent supporter of the principles 
and policies for which the Eepuhlican 
party stands sponsor. During the Civil 
war his sympathies and support were 
given to the cause of the Union. Of the 
ten children of James M. and Nannie 
(Blackford) Freeman five are now liv- 
ing, and concerning them the following 
brief data are consistently incorporated 
for perpetuation in this sketch: John 
is engaged in business in the city of 
Spokane, Washington; Kate is the wife 
of John 'SI. Peacher, of Shelby county; 
James M. is the immediate subject of 
this sketch ; Thomas is a prosperous 
farmer of Shelby coimty; and Cora is 
the wife of Thomas Turner, of this 
county. 

James M. Freeman. Jr., whose name 
introduces this article, was reared to the 
study and invigorating discipline of the 
home faiTU, in whose work he early be- 
gan to lend his quota of aid, while he was 
also afforded the advantages of the dis- 
trict schools, so that he waxed strong in 
both mind and body, and later he was 
for two years a student in the Novelty 
High School, a well conducted institu- 
tion of iiigh academic order, in Knox 
county. After the completion of his 
school work he returned to the home 
farm, in the operation and management 
of which he was associated with his 
honored father until the death of the 
latter. In 1895 he removed to Shelby- 
ville, though he still continued to give a 
general supervision to the farm and 
dealt somewhat extensivelv in live stock. 



On June 6, 1896, under the administra- 
tion of President McKinley, ^Ir. Free- 
man was appointed postmaster of Shel- 
bj"A'iIle, and his service in this position 
was one marked by care, discrimination 
and marked executive ability. The pub- 
lic appreciation of his labors in the of- 
fice was shown in his long retention of 
the same, for he continued incumbent 
during the remainder of the administra- 
tion of the lamented and martyred presi- 
dent and also the two terms of his suc- 
cessor. President Eoosevelt, having re- 
tired from the office in Februari*. 1908. 
He soon afterward sold his interest in 
the old home farm and made a number 
of judicious investments in real estate 
in Shelbyville, where he erected a num- 
ber of substantial business buildings, 
which he still owns, together with other 
realty in the city. In the year of 1909 
he engaged in the jewelry business in 
Shelln'Aille, where he now has an at- 
tractive and well-stocked establishment 
and caters to a substantial and represen- 
tative trade. He is essentially progres- 
sive and public-spirited as a citizen, has 
been a leader in the local ranks of the 
Republican party for a number of years, 
and he has done much to further the 
civic and material upbuilding and ad- 
vancement of his home city and native 
county, where he is well known and held 
in unequivocal confidence and esteem. 
He was one of the charter members of 
the Shelby County Eailway Company 
and is still a stockholder of the same. 
He is affiliated with the Masonic frater- 
nity and the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows. 

On April 1-t, 1886, was recorded the 
marriage of Mr. Freeman to Miss Ella 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



327 



M. Stuart, of Slielbyville, who was bom 
and reared in this county, and who is a 
daughter of J. G. Stuart, a successful 
merchant of Shelbyville. 

ADOLPHUS E. SINGLETON. 

A native son of Shelby county, where 
he has maintoiined his home from the 
time of his birth, Judge Singleton has 
here been a prominent factor in connec- 
tion with industrial and business affairs 
and has also l)een influential in connec- 
tion with matters of public import. He 
is the owner of a fine farm estate in the 
county and is at the pi'esent time suc- 
cessfully engaged in the handling of coal, 
grain and feed in the thriving little city 
of Shelbyville, where he is associated 
with his brother in this important line 
of enterprise, under the firm name of 
Singleton Brothers. He has served as 
county judge and has ever shown a lively 
interest in all that has concerned the 
progress and prosperity of his native 
county and its people. As a thoroughly 
representative and highly esteemed citi- 
zen of Shelby county he is most consist- 
ently accorded recognition in this pub- 
lication. 

The Singleton family was early found- 
ed in the Old Dominion commonwealth 
of Virginia, that cradle of so much of 
our national history, and the lineage is 
traced back to staunch English origin. 
In that state was born jNIinor Singleton, 
who was the paternal grandfather of the 
subject of this review and who there 
passed his entire life, devoting his active 
career jarincipally to agricultural pur- 
suits, with -uliich basic line of industry 
the name has lieen identifiod prominently 



in succeeding generations. AVilliam Sin- 
gleton, the honored fatlier of him whose 
name initiates this article, was born in 
Virginia in the year 1818, and was there 
reared to maturity, receiving a common 
school education. In 18.34, when sixteen 
years of age, he came to Missouri, first 
taking up his a1)ode in Marion county, 
whence he later removed to Lewis 
county, where he remained until 1854, 
when he removed witli his family to 
Shelby county, where he became the 
owner of a large tract of land in Taylor 
township, and where he developed a fine 
farm, passing the residue of his long and 
i;seful life on this old homestead, which 
is still in the possession of the family. 
He was a man of exemplary character, 
leal and loyal in all the relations of life, 
zealous and earnest in the furtherance 
of his business affairs and successful in 
his well directed endeavors. He wielded 
much influence in his community and 
none could have held a more secure place 
in popular confidence and esteem. In 
politics he was a staunch adherent of the 
Democratic party and his religious faith 
was that of the Baptist church. His wife 
is a devoted member of the M. E. church. 
South. He died on January 1, 1894, at 
the age of seventy-five years, and his 
widow still remains on the old home- 
stead, having attained to the venerable 
' age of eighty-seven years (1910) and 
being admirably preserved in both men- 
tal and physical faculties. She is one of 
the revered pioneer women of the county, 
being held in affectionate regard by all 
who know her. Her maiden name was 
Susan Vandiver and she was born in 
Virginia, where her marriage to Mr. 
Singleton was solemnized in the vear 



328 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



1848. Of the eleven children of this 
union five are now living: Benjamin II. 
is associated with the subject of this 
.sketch in business at Shelbj"snlle; Adol- 
phus H. is the next in order of birth; 
Jacol) II. is a farmer of Shelby county; 
Ella is still at the old home in this 
county; and Carj' remains with her 
mother on the old home farm. 

Adolphus E. Singleton was reared 
under the beneficent influences of the 
home farm, to whose work he early be- 
gan to coutril:)ute his quota, so that he 
learned the lessons of practical industry 
while he was also availing himself of the 
advantages of the public schools of the 
locality and period. He continued to be 
actively and successfully identified with 
diversified farming and stock-growing 
until August, 1905, when he left the fann 
and took up his i-esidence in Shelbyville, 
where he is now engaged in business, as 
already noted. His elder son now oper- 
ates the farm on shares and thus Judge 
Singleton himself still continues to ex- 
ercise a general supervision of the fine 
old homestead which so long represented 
his abiding place and which gives evi- 
dence of his able and progressive man- 
agement, being one of the model farms 
of the county. The place comprises 240 
acres of most productive land, all being 
available for cultivation, and the per- 
manent improvements are of excellent 
order, so that everything bears unmis- 
takable evidence of thrift and prosperity. 
The farm is located in Taylor township, 
about fourteen miles distant from Shel- 
byville, the county seat. 

In politics Judge Singleton has never 
wavered in his allegiance to the Demo- 
cratic party and he has been a zealous 



worker in its local ranks. He has held 
various minor offices of public trust and 
in 1898 he was elected county judge, of 
which position he continued incumbent 
for one term, or four years, and in which 
he gave an able and acceptable admin- 
istration of the affairs assigned to him 
for adjudication. His wife holds mem- 
bership in the Baptist church and they 
are liberal and zealous in the support of 
the various departments of its work. 

On Feln-uary 20, 1879. was solemnized 
the marriage of Judge Singleton to Miss 
Alice Magruder, who was bom and 
reared in Shelby county and who is a 
daughter of the late Thomas Gr. Ma- 
gruder, long a representative farmer of 
this county. Judge and Mrs. Singleton 
have four children : Walter T., who had 
charge of the home farm, married Miss 
Edna Moore and they have no children ; 
Susan E., Ellen M. and Benjamin A. re- 
main at the parental home in Shelbj^s'ille. 

Judge Singleton was elected mayor of 
Shelbj^ille in 1906, serving two years 
as such. 

CHARLES H. LASLEY. 

For nearly foi'ty years the subject of 
this brief memoir has been connected 
with the mercantile interests of that sec- 
tion of Missouri in which he now lives, 
and during the whole of that period he 
has given to the world around him a fine 
example of uprightness in private life 
and sterling integrity in business. Born, 
reared, educated and married in this 
state, and having made his excellent rec- 
ord among its people, whatever he is he 
is all Missouri's own, her product in 
every particular and her representative 




CHARLES H. LASLEY 



IIISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



339 



in all that is worthy in manhood and ele- 
vated in citizenship. 

Mr. Lasley is a native of Monroe coun- 
ty, in this state, where his life began on 
September 17, 1853. He is a son of Wil- 
liam M. and Margaret A. (Gillispie) Las- 
ley, the former a native of Virginia and 
the latter of Kentucky. The father came 
to this state and located in Paris when 
he was but a young man. For a numlier 
of years he clerked for Mr. Parsons, one 
of the leading dry goods merchants of 
Paris, and after acquiring a thorough 
knowledge of the business started a store 
of his own in partnership with Marquis 
D. Blakey, under the firm name of Blakey 
& Lasley, the store being conducted at 
Clinton, in Monroe count}^ of this state. 

The establishment was engaged in gen- 
eral merchandising and continued in 
operation for a number of years. Then 
Mr. Lasley 's health failed and he retired 
to a farm in Monroe county, on which he 
died a few years later. His wife was 
Miss Margaret Gillispie before her mar- 
riage. She was born in Kentucky and be- 
came a resident of jMissouri at an early 
age. They became the parents of two 
children, one of whom, a daughter (Vir- 
ginia J.), has died, leaving Charles H. at 
this time the only survivor of his father's 
household. In politics the father was a 
pronounced and unyielding Democrat, 
but he was never an office seeker or de- 
sirous of public distinction of any kind. 
He lived for his home and his community, 
and gave his best energies at all times to 
promote the welfare of both. He was 
very successful in business and enjoyed 
a wide and well-founded popularity 
among the people. 

His son, Charles H. Lasley, passed his 



boyhood and youth on his father's farm, 
acquiring strength of sinew and flexi- 
bility of function in its exacting but vig- 
orous labors. Through this steady com- 
mimion with nature he also gained 
breadth of view, and like all farmers' 
sons who profit by the lessons of their 
homes, became a self-reliant and re- 
sourceful man. He was educated mainly 
in private schools, completing his aca- 
demic training in a more advanced insti- 
tution of learning at Palmyra. "When lie 
reached the age of seventeen he began 
the battle of life for himself by entering 
a dry goods store at Shelbina as a clerk 
and salesman. He remained in this store 
four years, giving his employer service 
that was entirely satisfactory, and ac- 
quiring a thorough knowledge of the bus- 
iness, for he was studious and attentive 
and allowed no opportunity to gain use- 
ful knowledge to escape him imused. 

In 1875 Mr. Lasley formed a partner- 
ship with Mr. Cotton to conduct the dry 
goods business under the name and style 
of Cotton & Laslej^ He was now fairly 
launched on the uncertain sea of mercan- 
tile life, and his career in business, engi- 
neered and captained by himself, was be- 
gun. The jiartnership with Mr. Cotton 
lasted six years, being dissolved in 1881. 
In September of that year Mr. Lasley 
formed a new business connection, his 
associate in this being Mr. Thompson, 
and the business which occiipied their 
faculties being the dry goods and cloth- 
ing trade. The partnership continued 
and the enterprise flourished until the 
death of Mr. Thompson in 1886. Mr. 
Lasley then entered into partnership 
with Mr. IMillion and started a store de- 
voted exclusively to the clothing trade, 



330 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



the firm uame being Lasley & Million. 
In 1873 Mr. Lasley purchased Mr. Mil- 
lion's interest in the business and took 
his brother in as a partner, the firm be- 
ing known as that of C. H. Lasley & Bro. 
Three years later he bought his brother's 
interest and gave two of his sous a half 
share in the undertaking, changing the 
style of the house to C. H. Lasley & Co., 
under which name it is still doing an ex- 
tensive and profitable business. 

Mr. Lasley has been very successful 
in all his operations and his success 
is the logical result of his excellent 
business capacity, superior judgment 
and close attention to all the de- 
tails of what he has had in hand. 
He is a stockholder and director of the 
Old Bank of Shelbiua and is connected 
in a leading way with other commercial 
and financial enterprises. In the affairs 
of the community he has always taken 
an ardent and helpful interest, being 
among the foremost in all worthy proj- 
ects for its improvement. In political 
faith he is a Democrat who su])ports his 
party wisely and loyally without seek- 
ing any of its honors or emoluments for 
himself. On June 18, 1879, he was united 
in marriage with Miss Anna Downing, a 
native of this state. They have five chil- 
dren, Roy D., Henry R., Roland R., Bes- 
sie and "William Kenneth, all of whom 
are still living at home and adding 
brightness and charm to the parental 
fireside. The scion of an old Virginia 
family, the father has well sustained the 
virtues and traditions of his ancestry 
and exemplified on the new soil of Mis- 
souri the sterling manhood which has so 
long dignified and adorned that of the 
"Old Dominion." He is one of Shelbv 



county's best citizens and richly deserves 
the high esteem in which he is held by 
all classes of its people. 

BENJAMIN H. SINGLETON. 

The fine old state of Missouri has rep- 
resented the home of this well known and 
popular citizen of Shelby\'ille from the 
time of his birth and he has here found 
adequate opj^ortunities for the gaining 
of definite success. He was long identi- 
fied with agricultural pursuits but is now 
Avell established in the coal, grain and 
feed business in Shelb.vville as junior 
member of the firm of Singleton Broth- 
ers, in which his associate is his brother. 
Judge Adolphus Singleton, of whom in- 
dividual mention is made on other pages 
of this work, together with adequate 
data concerning the family history, so 
that further reference to the same is not 
demanded in the present article. 

Benjamin H. Singleton was born in 
Marion county, Missouri, February 6, 
1850, and when he was but four years of 
ago his parents removed to Shelby 
county, where he was reared to maturity 
on the home farm and where he had such 
educational advantages as were afforded 
by the common schools of the locality 
and period. He eventually initiated his 
independent career as a farmer and 
stock-grower and became the owner of 
a valuable farm of 240 acres in Monroe 
county, where he continued to be en- 
gaged in diversified agriculture and the 
raising of excellent grades of live stock 
from 1881 until 190(), in which latter year 
he sold his farm and removed to Shelby- 
ville, where he has since been engaged 
in successful business with his brother. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



331 



as has already been noted in tliis con-' 
text. He is a progressive business man 
and public-spirited citizen, is a staunch 
advocate of the principles and policies 
for which the Democratic party stands 
sponsor, is a charter member of the lo- 
cal organization of the Court of Honor, 
and his wife is a member of the Baptist 
church. 

On January 29, 1879, Mr. Singleton 
was imited in marriage to Miss Florida 
Fields, who was born in Kentucky, and 
who was a child at the time of her par- 
ents' removal to Missouri. Her father, 
Henry H. Fields, settled in Monroe 
county, this state, where he passed the 
remainder of his life. Mr. and Mrs. Sin- 
gleton became the parents of five chil- 
dren, of whom three are living : Martha, 
who remains at tlie parental home; Den- 
nis E., of Fulton, Missouri; and Benja- 
min Clay, of Shelbj'\'ine. 

JOHN ^y. FRYE. 

Though a native of West Virginia and 
a scion of one of the sterling families 
early founded in the historic Old Do- 
minion, this well known and honored 
citizen of Shelbyville has been a resi- 
dent of this county from his boyhood 
days and has here risen to a position of 
prominence and influence as a citizen of 
utmost loyalty and public spirit, and as 
one who has ably contributed to the in- 
dustrial and civic development and prog- 
ress of this attractive and favored sec- 
tion of the .state. He was long identi- 
fied in an active way with agriculture 
and stock-growing and still retains his 
fine landed estate of 220 acres in Black 
Creek township, the same constituting 



one of the best improved and most valu- 
able farms of the county. He is now 
living virtually retired in the thriving 
little city of Shelbyville, where he is the 
owner of a considerable amount of real 
estate and has various capitalistic inter- 
ests of importance. 

Mr. Frye was born in Hardin county, 
West Virginia, May 22, 1856, and in that 
commonwealth also were born his grand- 
father, Westfall Frye, and his father, 
Benjamin F. Frye, the date of the lat- 
ter 's nativity having been November 18, 
1829, at which time the state was still 
an integral part of Virginia. There the 
grandfather passed his entire life and 
his active career was devoted principally 
to agricultural pursuits, in which con- 
nection he was the owner of a good plan- 
tation. Benjamin F. Frye was reared 
and educated in his native state, where 
he continued to reside until 1852, when, 
at the age of about twenty-three years, 
he came to Missouri for the purpose of 
investigating conditions with a view to 
permanent location. He passed about 
two years in Shelby county and then re- 
turned to West Virginia, where, in 1855, 
was solemnized his marriage to Miss 
Eliza Clagett, who likewise was born in 
Hardin county, that state. They con- 
tinued their residence there until 1857, 
when they came to Missouri and estab- 
lished their home on a farm in Black 
Creek township, where the father was 
actively engaged in diversified farming 
and stock-growing, in connection with 
extensive dealing in live stock, until 
1895, when he retired, removing to Shel- 
byville, where he passed the closing 
years of his life in the home of his son, 
John W., subject of this review. He was 



332 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



summoned to the life eternal July 30, 
1902, at the venerable age of seventy- 
two years, eight mouths and twelve 
days, his loved and devoted wife having 
passed away in December, 1905. He was 
a staunch supporter of the cause of the 
Democratic party, was affiliated with the 
Masonic fraternity, and both he and his 
wife were worthy members of the Bap- 
tist church. He was a citizen who ever 
commanded the unqualified confidence 
and high regard of his fellow men, and 
his life was one of signal usefulness and 
honor. He attained definite success in 
his various business operations, was a 
charter member of both banking institu- 
tions in Shelbyville and was a stock- 
holder of the Citizens' Bank at the time 
of his demise. Of the three children in 
the family, one daughter died in early 
childhood, and of the two surviving, 
John W., of this sketch, is the elder; 
Chester C. is now a resident of Fresno, 
California. 

John W. Frye was reared to maturity 
on the home farm and after availing 
himself of the advantages of the district 
schools he continued his studies for 
three years in the Shelbyville high 
school. During his active career he 
never found it expedient nor did he de- 
sire to sever his allegiance to the great 
basic industry of agriculture, and 
through his association therewith, he 
achieved a high degree of success, be- 
coming one of the representative farm- 
ers and stock-raisers of the county and 
accumulating a fine estate of 220 acres, 
eligibly located about one mile northeast 
of Shelbyville. He made the best of im- 
provements on his farm, which bears 
every evidence of thrift and ]irosperity 



and is considered one of the model places 
of the county. He still gives a general 
supervision to the farm but has lived es- 
sentially retired in Shelbyville since 
1908, enjoying the just reward of former 
years of earnest toil and endeavor. He 
is a stockholder and director of the Citi- 
zens' Bank of Shelbyville, was a charter 
member of the Shelby County Railroad 
Company, is the owner of a considerable 
amount of valuable realty in his home 
citj% including his attractive residence 
pi-operty, and is known as one of the sub- 
stantial citizens of the county which has 
represented his home during practically 
his entire life thus far. He has so or- 
dered his course as to retain at all times 
the unqualified esteem of those with 
whom he has come in contact in business 
and social relations and he stands repre- 
sentative of loyal and liberal citizenship. 
Though never an aspirant for ofiBce and 
never specially active in the domain of 
l^ractical politics, he takes a deep inter- 
est in all that concerns the general wel- 
fare of the community and gives his sup- 
port to the cause of the Democratic 
party. He is affiliated with the Shelby- 
ville lodge of Free & Accepted Masons 
and both he and his wife are zealous 
members of the ^lethodist Episcopal 
Church, South. Has served for several 
years as a member of the school 
board. 

On the 2r)th of March, 1885, Mr. Frye 
was united in marriage to Miss Ella Van- 
nort, daughter of Cyrus W. Vannort, an 
honored citizen of Shelbyville, and of the 
five children of this union three are now 
living, — Elmer R., Grover F. and Mary 
S., all of whom remain at the parental 
home. 



HISTQHY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



333 



ALONZO COOPER. 

Ou other pages of this work is entered 
a memoir to that honored and influential 
citizen, the late John T. Cooper, who was 
long and prominently identitied with the 
agricultural industry and other impor- 
tant business interests in Shelby county 
and who was a citizen altogether worthy 
of the unqualified confidence and esteem 
in which he was held. He was the father of 
him whose name initiates this para- 
graph, and in view of the fact that such 
review of his career is incorporated in 
this publication it is not necessary to 
offer the data again in the article at 
hand, as ready reference may be made 
from tlife biographical index to the 
sketch in question. 

Alonzo Cooper, who is well upholding 
the high prestige of the name which he 
bears and who is now living virtually re- 
tired in the attractive little city of Shel- 
l)yville, was born in this same city on 
July 4r, 1850, and his civic loyalty and 
patriotism in mature life have justified 
his "involuntary choice" of a natal day, 
which, as a boy, he was doubtless able 
to celebrate with double enthusiasm. He 
gained his early educational training in 
the public schools of Shelbyville and 
after completing the curriculum of the 
high school he was associated with his 
father in his business affairs in Shelby- 
ville until 1871, when the family removed 
to the fine old homestead farm, in Black 
Creek township, where he turned his at- 
tention vigorously and enthusiastically 
to the divers duties and o])erations inci- 
dental to the proper prosecution of the 
great basic industry of agriculture, with 
it.s allied branch of stock growing. He 



was twenty-one years of age at tlie time 
of the removal to the farm and he con- 
tinued to be actively concerned in its 
work and management for more than 
twenty years, within which he gained 
prestige as one of the wide-awake, pro- 
gressive and successful farmers of his 
native county. For two years he and his 
father were largely interested in raising, 
buying and shipping mules, handling 
from 125 to 150 annually. In 1893, upon 
the death of his honored father, who had 
in the meanwhile returned to Shelbyville 
and engaged in handling of harness and 
vehicles of various descriptions, Mr. 
Cooper likewise removed from the farm 
to this city, where he resumed charge of 
his father's business and became admin- 
istrator of the estate, whose large and 
varied interests he has managed with 
consummate fidelity and ability. He 
finally closed out the business conducted 
by his father in Shelbyville, and since 
that time he has lived virtually retired, 
though he finds ample demands ui)on his 
time and attention in the supervision of 
his various capitalistic interests and in 
directing the general policy of operating 
the fine old farm of 500 acres, which he 
still owns and which is recognized as one 
of the best improved, most effectively 
handled and most valuable of the many 
admirable farms in this county. Mr. 
Cooper is the owner of a considerable 
amount of real estate in Shelbyville and 
elsewhere, and he has done considerable 
Imsiness in the buying and selling of 
realty in late years, having also improved 
many of his ])roperties. Since his re- 
moval to Shelbyville he has rented his 
farm. Mr. Cooper is vice-president of 
the Citizens' Bank of Shelbvville, of 



334 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



wliiob he was one of the organizers and 
incorporators, and he was also one of 
those identified with the organization of 
the Shelby County Railroad Company, 
of which he was a charter member and in 
which he is still a stockholder. He takes 
much interest in the progress of his na- 
tive city and county and is ever ready to 
lend his influence and tangible aid in 
support of measures and enterprises 
tending to advance the material and civic 
welfare of the conmiunity. Though never 
ambitious for the honors or emoluments 
of i)ublic office Mr. Cooper is found ar- 
rayed as a staunch supporter of the prin- 
ciples of the Democratic party and he 
has given effective support to its cause 
in both local and general campaigns. He 
is affiliated with Shelbyville Lodge, No. 
33, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
and both he and his wife are earnest 
members of the Christian church, taking 
active interest in the various depart- 
ments of its work. They are held in high 
regard in the county that has ever repre- 
sented their home and their circle of 
friends is limited only by that of their 
acquaintances. 

On October 22, 1876, Mr. Cooper" was 
united in marriage to Miss Sarah J. 
Perry, who was born and reared in this 
county, where her father, the late Joseph 
Perry, was a successful and influential 
farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper have two 
children — Fannie, who is the wife of 
Benjamin F. Gw^Tin, of Shelbyville, and 
Roy B. Cooper, who is engaged in farm- 
ing in Shelby county. 

JOHN D. DALE. 

Mr. Dale is a representative member 
of the l)ar of his native county, being es- 



tablished in the successful practice of his 
profession in Shelbyville, the judicial 
center of the county, and by reason of 
his prestige in his profession as well as 
on account of his being a scion of a fam- 
ily whose name has been identified with 
the annals of Shelby county for more 
than half a century, ever standing as a 
synonym of integrity and honor in all 
the relations of life. The Dale family 
was early founded in the state of Mary- 
land, where Isaac Mitchell Dale, grand- 
father of the subject of this review, 
passed his entire life. There also was 
born Isaac Dale, the son, the year of 
whose nativity was 1818. He was reared 
to manhood in his native commonwealth, 
where he received a good common-school 
education and where he continued to re- 
side until 1854, when he came to Mis- 
souri and took up his residence on a 
farm near the present city of Shelbj^ille, 
Shelby county, and in 1861 moved to a 
farm near Florence. There he devoted 
his attention to diversified agxieulture 
and the raising of excellent grades of 
live stock until 1862, when he removed 
with his family to the village of Clar- 
ence, where, after disposing of his farm 
property, he engaged in the general mer- 
chandise business, in which he continued 
until his death, which occurred on Au- 
gust 26, 1878. His wife, whose maiden 
name was Margaret Dennis, was like- 
wise a native of the state of Maryland, 
and she was summoned to the life eternal 
on September 1, 1876. The mother had 
been a member of the M. E. Church, 
South. Of their nine children five are 
now living, namely: "William J., who is 
a resident of Mancos, Colorado; Jesse 
T., who is engaged in business at Shel- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



335 



bina, Missouri ; Bel)eeoa, who is tlie wife 
of John H. Haiuliue, of Bloomington, 
Illinois; Rufus E., who is a representa- 
tive business man of Colorado Springs, 
Colorado ; and John D., who is the imme- 
diate subject of this review. 

John D. Dale is indebted to the i)ublic 
schools of the village of Clarence, this 
county, for his early educational disci- 
pline, which was supplemented by at- 
tendance in the Methodist Academy in 
Shelbyville, in which well conducted in- 
stitution he was graduated as a member 
of the class of 1878. Thereafter he took 
up the study of law, and was favored in 
securing as his preceptor Senator Cyrus 
S. Brown, of Clarence, one of the able 
members of the bar of the county and for 
several terms a member of the state sen- 
ate. He continued his technical reading 
under the direction of his preceptor un- 
til 1883, when he was elected circuit 
clerk and county recorder, of which dual 
office he remained incumbent for two 
terms, giving an administration that met 
with popular approval and was marked 
by scrupulous care in the handling of the 
various details of the office work. In the 
meanwhile Mr. Dale had continued his 
legal studies, and on October 24, 1890, he 
was duly admitted to the bar of his na- 
tive county and state. He retired from 
the office of county recorder in the fol- 
lowing December, and since that time he 
has been engaged in active general prac- 
tice as an attorney and counselor at law, 
with residence and x^rofessional head- 
quarters in the thriving little city of 
Shelbyville. In 1896 he entered into a 
professional partnership with Ho]ikins 
B. Shain, with whom he was associated 
until 1898, when the alliance was dis- 



solved by mutual consent, and since that 
time Mr. Dale has conducted an individ- 
ual professional business, in connection 
with which he has appeared in much im- 
l)ortant litigation and retained a sub- 
stantial and representative clientage. He 
is recognized as an able and versatile 
trial lawyer and as a counselor well in- 
t'oimed in the minutiae of the science of 
jurisprudence. He was official reporter 
of the house of representatives in the 
forty-second general assembly of the 
Missouri legislature and in this connec- 
tion formed the acquaintanceship of 
many of the representative men in pub- 
lic and professional life in the state. Mr. 
Dale is a staunch advocate of the princi- 
ples and policies for which the Demo- 
cratic party stands sponsor, and he has 
rendered yeoman service in behalf of the 
party cause. Both he and his wife are 
active members of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, South, and are zealous in 
the work of the church in Shelbyville. 

On May 15, 1883, Mr. Dale was united 
in marriage to Miss Mary E. Priest, of 
Shelbyville, and of their five children 
two are living — Mildred and Celeste B., 
both of whom remain at the pai-ental 
home. 

DR. WILLIAM CARSON. 

Representing the second generation of 
his family that has been energetic and 
serviceable in developing the resources 
of Missouri, which before their advent 
in the state, and that of those who came 
hither about the same time, had lain for 
ages almost in their state of primeval 
wildness untouched by the quickening 
hand of systematic industry, Di-. "Wil- 



336 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



liam Carson, of Sbelbyville, is entitled 
to credit in bis ancestry and bimself as 
one of tbe fruitful sources of power and 
enterprise in tbe great commonwealth 
wbich be bas seen born into tbe world of 
civilization and grow from infancy to its 
present standing in tbe political and 
civil, tbe mental and moral and tbe in- 
dustrial and commercial forces of tbe 
coimtry. 

Dr. Car son was born in Marion coun- 
ty, Missouri, on ^May 5, 1846, and is a son 
of AVilliam and Eletbea (Seeley) Carson, 
tbe fonner born in Frederick comity, 
Virginia, in 1798, and tbe latter a native 
of St. Cbarles county, Missouri. Tliey 
were married on October 2, 1823, and 
tbey became tbe parents of ten cbildren, 
four of whom are living — Martha, tbe 
wife of J. S. Green, of Palmyra, Mis- 
souri; Maria L., the wife of Eev. J. T. 
Williams, Baptist clergj-man of tbe same 
city ; Dr. "William, tbe immediate subject 
of this memoir; and SamueUa, the widow 
of the late J. W. Paul, of Nevada, Mis- 
souri. 

Tbe father, who was a son of Simon C. 
Carson, a A'irginia planter, came to Mis- 
souri in 1819 alone. He lived for a time 
in St. Charles and Ralls counties, then 
settled in Marion county, where be fol- 
lowed general farming until 1860. In 
that year he was appointed assistant 
land agent of the Hannibal & St. Joseph 
Kailroad and moved to Palmyra. He 
was afterward assistant cashier of the 
old State Bank of Palmyra. He was a 
man of considerable ability, earnestly 
alive to the develojmient of the region in 
which he lived and at all times ready to 
do all in his power to promote it. For a 
continuous period of foiirteen years be 



represented the county of his home in 
tbe state legislature, serving three con- 
secutive terms in the bouse of represent- 
atives and two in tbe senate. He was 
very successful in business and promi- 
nent in public life, and as be was one of 
the fathers of this part of tbe state and 
proved himself a very intelligent, pro- 
gressive and stimulating parent, so he is 
revered by the people as one of tbe most 
useful citizens of the earlier days of 
northeastern Missouri and one of its 
best in later years. He died in 1870. In 
politics he was first a Whig, during the 
Civil war a conservative and later a 
Democrat. His religious affiliation was 
with the Baptist sect and he took a very 
active part in church work. 

Dr. William Carson began his scholas- 
tic training in tbe public schools of 
Marion county, continued it at Bethel 
and St. Paul colleges, in Palmyra, and 
completed it at tbe University of Vir- 
ginia. In 1866 he matriculated at St. 
Louis Medical College, and from that in- 
stitution be was graduated with tbe de- 
gree of ^I. D. in ^Tarch, 1868. He began 
the practice of his profession at AVest 
Ely, in Marion county, where he re- 
mained three years. From there he 
moved to Sbelbina, in this county, and 
there, also, he remained three years. His 
next location was at Oakdale, and there 
be lived and practiced thirteen years, 
coming to Sbelbyville in 1887. Here he 
bas lived ever since and carried on an ex- 
tensive, very active and widespread and 
remunerative practice. He is, and long 
has been, one of the leading physicians 
of Shelby county, and also enjoys an ex- 
cellent reputation for bis ability, exten- 
sive and accurate knowledge of the medi- 




VERNON L. DRAIN 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



337 



cal science aud skill in practice in many 
other portions of the state. 

Dr. Carson keeps posted in all phases 
of progress in his profession and is 
abreast with its most advanced thougLi 
and discover}'. He is still a diligent stii- 
dent of its literature and is also an ac- 
tive and valued member of the American 
Medical Association and the Missouri 
and Shelby county medical societies. He 
takes an active part in public ati'airs as 
a zealous working Democrat, and in the 
fraternal life of the commijnity as a 
Freemason and an Odd Fellow. In relig- 
ion he gives his allegiance to the Baptist 
creed and is a working member of the 
Mission church of that sect. Locally he 
has given the people excellent service as 
an alderman, a school director and the 
county coroner. He is now the road 
commissioner of Shelby county. In all 
these positions he has won commenda- 
tion for his directness, attention to duty 
and knowledge of the requii"ements of 
the county and city. 

Three times has the little god of senti- 
ment made the doctor his target, and 
each time his arrow has found its mark. 
He was first married in 1868 to Miss 
Mary Caldwell, a daughter of W. D. 
Caldwell. They had one child, who died 
at the age of six months. The mother 
died in 1870. His second marriage oc- 
curred on June 29, 1872, and was with 
Miss Lucy M. Caldwell, a daughter of 
Larkin B. Caldwell, of Shelby county. 
They became the parents of six children, 
all of whom are living — William G., of 
Kansas City, Missouri; Claud W., of 
Sheridan, Wyoming; Harry B., of Okla- 
homa City, Oklahoma ; Mary A., the wife 
of Dimmitt Wainwright, of Monett, Mis- 



souri; Larkin E., of Shelbyville, and 
James I., also of Sheridan, Wyoming. 
Their mother died in 1904. The doctor's 
third marriage was with Miss Martha 
Wilson, of Shelbyville, and occurred in 
1908. 

^^ERNON L. DEAIN. 

Successful as a practicing lawyer and 
prominent and intluential as a citizen 
far beyond the measure his mod- 
esty would allow him to admit, Ver- 
non L. Drain, of Shelbyville, is 
justly accounted one of the lead- 
ing and most useful citizens of Shelby 
county, and he is also well and favorably 
known in all of the adjoining counties. 
Wherever he is known he is esteemed for 
his worth, held in high regard for his ele- 
vated character and admired for the 
([ualities of head aud heart which have 
won him success in his profession and 
]irominence among the people of IMis- 
souri. 

Mr. Drain was born in Shelby county, 
Missouri, on January 21, 1864. He is 
the only child of Stanford and Mary M. 
(Lyell) Drain, the former a native of 
Sussex county, Delaware, where he was 
born in 1811, and the latter a product of 
Westmoi'eland county, Virginia. The 
father i)assed the first quarter century 
of his life in his native county and ob- 
tained his education there. In 1836 he 
moved to Missouri and was employed for 
a time in Hannibal. He then located in 
Shelby county and during a short period 
followed farming with success. But he 
tired of this occupation and took up his 
residence in Shelbyville, where he 
worked for a number of years at the car- 
])onter trade, which he had learned in his 



338 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



native state. He then again took up 
farming as his leading employment and 
adhered to this until his death, which oc- 
curred in 1892. Twice he yielded to the 
dominion of the tender passion, being 
first married on March 21, 1833, to ^liss 
Sarah W. Parker. They had.one child, 
who is still living, their daughter ^lary, 
who is now the widow of John W. Jacobs, 
of Clarence, in this county. Her mother 
died September 8, 1850, and on January 
5, 1857, the father married a second time, 
choosing Miss ]\Iary M. Lyell as his part- 
ner on this occasion. One child was born 
of this union, Vernon L., the immediate 
subject of this brief review. Stanford 
Drain died November 20, 1892. 

Vernon L. Drain attended the public 
schools of Shelbj-A-ille and studied a 
great deal at home. After leaving school 
he worked on his father's farm for a few 
years, then passed some time as a clerk 
and salesman in a store. But feeling 
within him a call to higher duties than 
those of a salesman, however necessary 
and worthy they may be, he began the 
study of law under the direction of the 
present representative of this district in 
the congress of the United States, Hon. 
James T. Lloyd, of Shelbyville. In 1891 
he was admitted to the bar and began the 
practice of his profession in Shelbj^^dlle, 
and here he has been actively and suc- 
cessfully engaged in it ever since. He 
has risen to very good standing in his 
profession and influence among the peo- 
ple on merit which his whole record has 
made manifest, and in social life he is in 
the front rank. 

Mr. Drain has taken an active part in 
the affairs of the county as a citizen 
deeply interested in its welfare and zeal- 



ous in promoting its advancement, and as 
a Democrat in politics eager to secure the 
best interests of the country by the appli- 
cation qf proper principles and theories 
in the administration of its government. 
He was elected prosecuting attorney of 
Shelby county in 1892 and served two 
terms in that office. His religious con- 
nection is with the Southern Methodist 
church. On February 17, 1892, he was 
united in marriage with Miss Nellie E. 
Turner, of ^laryville. Nodaway county, 
^lissouri. .The three children born of 
their union are all living and at home 
with their parents. They are : Benjamin 
Stanford, Katherine V. and Vernon L. 
Xo family in the county stands higher in 
the estimation of the people and none is 
more deserving of a high rank. 

EUGENE M. CADWELL. 

One of the well known and distinct- 
ively popular officials of Shelby county 
is he whose names initiates this article. 
Mr. Cadwell is incumlient of the office 
of circuit clerk, in which position he has 
served, with marked efficiency, since 
January 1, 1907, prior to which he has 
been one of the representative business 
men of the thriving little village of Shel- 
bina, from which he transferred his resi- 
dence to Shelbyville, the county seat, 
when preparing to assume the duties of 
his present official position. 

Mr. Cadwell is a native son of Shelby 
coimty and is a member of one of its 
honored ])ioneer families. His paternal 
grandfather was Closes Cadwell, who 
was a native of North Carolina, whence 
he removed to Kentucky in the ])ioneer 
days of the latter commonwealth, in 



HISTOIJY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



339 



wbicli he continued to reside until his 
removal to Shelby county, Mo., where 
Ids deatli occurred. Mr. Cadwell was 
born on the homestead farm, in Salt 
Eiver township, this county, on May 7, 
1877, and is a son of William M. and 
Elizabeth (Quigley) Cadwell, the former 
of whom was born in Kentucky, in 1844, 
and the latter of whom was born in 
Shelby county in the year 1854. Their 
marriage was solemnized in Shelby 
county, in 1875. and here they continue 
to maintain their home. 

William M. Cadwell was about nine 
years old at the time of his parents' im- 
migration from Kentucky to Missouri, 
and the family home was estal)lished in 
Shelby county, this state, in the year 
1853. Here he was reared to maturity 
and here his entire active and indei^end- 
ent career has been one of close and suc- 
cessful identification with agriculture 
and stock-growing. He is the owner of 
a fine farm of 240 acres, in Salt River 
and Black Creek townships, and the 
place is equipped with the best of im- 
provements of a permanent order, so 
that on all sides are abundant evidences 
of thrift and prosperitj^ During the 
Civil war he served under Colonel Por- 
ter, taking part in many skirmishes 
marking the conflict between the oppos- 
ing forces in Missouri, and having par- 
ticipated in tlie engagements at Kirks- 
ville and Edina. In politics he is a 
staunch supporter of the cause of the 
Democratic party and he has wielded 
not a little influence in public affairs in 
his community. Both he and his wife 
are zealous members of the Christian 
church, taking a deep interest in the va- 
rious departments of its work, and both 



are held in unqualified esteem in the 
county that has so long been their home. 
They became the parents of seven chil- 
dren, all of whom still reside in Shelby 
count}'^, their names being here entered 
in the respective order of birth : Eu- 
gene M., Frank M., James V., Laura B., 
Willard T., Ethel M., and Ruth. 

Eugene M. Cadwell passed his boy- 
hood and youth on the home farm, to 
whose work he early began to contribute 
his quota, and after completing the cur- 
riculum of the district schools he con- 
tinued his studies in the high school at 
Shelbina, where he also completed a 
course in a business college. After leav- 
ing school he was employed for several 
years as clerk in general and hardware 
stores in Marshall and Shelbina. after 
which he was engaged for six years as 
traveling salesman in the south. At the 
expiration of the period noted Mr. Cad- 
well returned to Shelbina, where he be- 
came associated with his brother, James 
v., in the grain and feed business, under 
the firm name of Cadwell Brothers. They 
built up a successful enterprise, and the 
subject of this review continued to be 
actively identified therewith until Oc- 
tober, 1905, when the firm sold the busi- 
ness and he entered the campaign to se- 
cure nomination, on the Democratic 
ticket, for the office of circuit clerk. He 
received the nomination at the county 
convention of the party on January 17, 
1906, and in the election of the following 
November he received a gratifying ma- 
jority at the polls. In the preceding 
April he had removed to Shelby\'ille, and 
there he served as deputy county re- 
corder until January 1, 1907, when he as- 
sumed the office of circuit clerk, of which 



340 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



he has since continued in tenure and in 
which his administration has met with 
unequivocal commendation. Mr. Cadwell 
has rendered yeoman service in behalf 
of the cause of the Democratic party and 
is one of its valued workers in the local 
field. He is affiliated with the Independ- 
ent Order of Odd Fellows and the Mod- 
ern "Woodmen of America, and is a citi- 
zen whose unqualified personal popu- 
larity in his native county stands as ade- 
quate voucher for his sterling attributes 
of character. 

On January 1, 1905, Mr. Cadwell was 
united in marriage to Miss Goldie G. 
Walker, of Shelbina, who was born and 
reared in this county and who is a 
daughter of Enocli TT. "Walker, a well 
known and honored citizen of the 
county. Of the two children of this 
union one died in infancy and the sur- 
vivor, William G., was born on Novem- 
ber 12, 1908. 

EDWIN M. DAMRELL. 

Among the native sons of Missouri 
who have here attained success and pres- 
tige of no uncertain order is the present 
able and popular recorder of Shelby 
county, where he has maintained Ms 
home from his childhood days and 
where he has not only been identified 
with important business interests, but 
where he has also been called upon 
to serve in various positions of distinc- 
tive public trust, a fact that shows the 
estimate placed upon him in the county 
where he is best known. In the review of 
the career of his elder brother, Theodore 
B. Damrell, appearing on other pages of 
this work, is given sufficient information 



concerning his parents and the family 
histoiy to make it unnecessary to repeat 
the data in the present sketch. It may 
be noted, however, that he is a repre- 
sentative of one of the sterling pioneer 
families of this section of the state, with 
whose history the name has been long 
and worthily identified, in both Monroe 
and Shelby counties. 

Edwin M. Damrell was l)orn on a fai-m 
in Jefferson township, Monroe county, 
Missouri, on March 9, 1869, and in 1877, 
shortly after the death of his honoi-ed 
father, the family removed from Monroe 
county to Shelby county, locating on an 
excellent farm which the father had pur- 
chased in Salt River township. There 
the subject of this sketch was reared to 
maturity, being afforded the advantages 
of the public schools of the locality and 
continuing to be identified with the work 
of the farm until he had attained to the 
age of eighteen years, when he took up 
his abode in Shelbyville, the county seat, 
where he became a clerk in the grocery 
store of Dussair & Levan, with which 
firm he continued in this capacity for 
several years, at the expiration of which, 
in 1893, he became associated with his 
brother, Theodore B., in purchasing the 
stock and business, which they there- 
after conducted under the firm name of 
Damrell Bros, for a period of five years. 

In 1898 Mr. Damrell was elected clerk 
of the circuit court for Shelby county, 
for a tei-m of four years, and the best 
evidence of the popular appreciation of 
his services was that given in his being 
chosen as his own successor in the elec- 
tion of 1902. He continued incumbent 
of the office for a second term of four 
years, at the expiration of which he was 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



341 



marked for further official honors, as he 
was elected county recorder in 1906, giv- 
ing a most able admiuisti'atiou and being- 
re-elected in 1910, so that he is iuciun- 
bent of the office at the time of this writ- 
ing, being one of the faithful, efficient 
and valued officials of the county and 
commanding the confidence and esteem 
of all with whom he has come in contact, 
in official, business and social life. He is 
one of the interested principals in the 
Shelby County Abstract & Loan Com- 
pany, whose facilities and functions are 
of the best order, and he has ever mani- 
fested a loyal interest in all that has 
touched the progress and material and 
civic prosperity of his home county and 
state, while he is recognized as one of the 
representative citizens of Shelbyville, 
one of the thriving little cities of Mis- 
souri. 

In i^olitics Mr. Damrell has ever been 
aligned as a stalwart supporter of the 
principles and policies of the Democratic 
party, in whose cause he has given most 
effective service, having been an active 
factor in campaign work and being one 
of the leaders of the party in Shelby 
county. He has held other offices of pub- 
lic order aside from those already men- 
tioned and he is at the present time pres- 
ident of the city council. Prior to his 
election to county office he has served six 
years as city collector of Shelbyville. In 
a fraternal way he is affiliated with the 
local organizations of the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows and the ^loderu 
Woodmen of America and he holds mem- 
bership in the Christian church. His 
wife is Noble Grand of the Rebecca 
Lodge and a member of the M. E. 
Church, South. 



On December 25, 1895, Mr. Damrell 
was united in marriage to Miss Elwyna 
Evans, who was born and reared in 
Shelby county, and who was the daugh- 
ter of John and Mary Evans, the former 
a native of Maryland and the latter of 
Shelby county, Missouri. Mrs. Damrell 
was summoned to the life eternal on Feb- 
ruary 28, 1901. No children were born 
of this union. On September 13, 1904, 
was solemnized the marriage of Mr. 
Damrell to Miss Etta P. Foreman, who 
was born and reared in Shelbyville and 
who is a daughter of Aaron B. and Mar- 
tha V. Foreman, who still reside in this 
city, Mr. Foreman being a native of 
Shelby county and his wife of Winches- 
ter, Virginia. The Foreman family was 
one of the earliest to become identified 
with the pioneer settlement of Shelby 
county, where Aaron Foreman, from 
whom Aaron B. Foreman is a lineal de- 
scendant, took up his abode in 1817, hav- 
ing come here in company with Edward 
Wbaley and three other men. Mr. and 
Mrs. Damrell have no children. 

EUGENE M. TERRILL. 

The able and popular incumbent of 
the office of county clerk of Shelby coun- 
ty has passed his entire life in this sec- 
tion of Missouri, and he was for many 
years actively identified with agricul- 
tural pursuits. 

Eugene M. Terrill was born on the old 
homestead farm, in Marion county, Mis- 
souri, on November 11, 1856, and is the 
younger of the two children of Oliver T. 
and Susan M. (McCullough) Terrill, 
l)oth of whom were born in Kentucky, 
their marriage having l)een solemnized 



342 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



in Marion county, Missouri. Samuel, the 
elder of their two sons, died when about 
fourteen years of age. Oliver T. Terrill 
was one of the valiant argonauts who 
made their way across the plains to Cali- 
fornia after the memorable discovery of 
gold in that state, where he remained 
two years, having engaged in teaming 
from Sacramento to the various mining- 
camps and later having been identified 
with the operation of a ferry. He re- 
turned to the East by way of Cape Horn. 
Upon coming to Missouri he first located 
in Marion county, where he continued to 
reside until 1858, when he removed with 
his family to Shelby county, where he 
purchased a tract of land in Black Creek 
township, developing the same into one 
of the excellent farms of the county and 
was actively engaged in agricultural pur- 
suits until 1879, when he received from 
the governor of the state appointment 
to the office of presiding judge of the 
county court to fill out an unexpired 
teiTH. At the ensuing election he was 
elected by jiopular vote for a full term, 
and he gave an admirable and acceptable 
administration on the bench. After his 
retirement from office he lived virtually 
retired, in Shelbyville, imtil his death, 
which occurred in 1889. His devoted wife 
survived him by a decade, being sum- 
moned to eternal rest in August, 1902. 
Both were devout members of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church, South, and they 
ever held the high regard of all who 
knew them. In politics Judge Terrill 
was a staunch supporter of the cause of 
the .Democratic party. 

Eugene M. Terrill was about two 
years of age at the time of the family re- 
moval to Shelbv countv and he was 



reared to maturity on the home farm, 
early becoming familiar with the practi- 
cal details of its work and in the mean- 
while duly profiting by the advantages 
afforded in the district school. He later 
was enabled to continue his studies in 
the high school in Shelbyville, and there- 
after he was associated in the work and 
management of the home farm until the 
death of his honored father, who left to 
him 120 acres of valuable land, which 
continued to constitute the scene of his 
well directed individual enterprise as a 
fai-mer and stock grower until 1898, 
when he removed to Shelbyville and be- 
came a clerk in the office of the county 
recorder. This position he held until the 
spring of the following year, when he 
was appointed deputy county clerk un- 
der Charles Ennis. In this capacity he 
rendered efficient service for the ensuing 
eight years, at the expiration of which 
there came fitting recognition of his elig- 
ibility and faithful service in his election, 
in 1906, to the office of county clerk, of 
which he has since continued inciunbent. 
His previous experience and his natural 
aptitude for the facile handling of detail 
work has made him a specially efficient 
executive, and his administration will 
pass on record as one of the best in the 
history of the office of clerk of the 
county. 

In ])()litics Mr. Terrill gives an unqual- 
ified allegiance to the Democratic partj% 
and its cause has found in him a staunch 
advocate and one well fortified in his 
convictions as to matters of public policy. 
As a citizen his viewjioint is liberal and 
public spirited, and he shows a lively in- 
terest in all measures and onterjjrises 
that tend to conserve the welfare of his 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



343 



home city and county. He is a stock- 
holder of the Shelby County Railroad 
Company, having become a charter mem- 
ber of the same. In Slielbyville he owns 
and occupies an attractive modern resi- 
dence. He is affiliated with the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the Mod- 
ern Woodmen of America and the Court 
of Honor. 

In June, 1879, Mr. Terrill was united 
in marriage to Miss Henrietta Speight, 
who was born in Indiana and reared in 
Shelby county, and who is a daughter 
of James Speight, who was for many 
years engaged in farming in this county. 
Of the six children of this union four 
are living, namely: Lida, who is the wife 
of Carl Ennis, of Slielbyville ; Oliver J., 
Samuel M. and Nannie, who remain be- 
neath the parental rooftree. 

FREDERICK M. FARR. 

A scion of one of the pioneer families 
of Missouri and known as one of the sub- 
stantial and representative citizens of 
Shelby county, Mr. Farr is now living a 
retired life in the city of Shelb^^nlle, 
where he is enjoying the generous com- 
fort and repose that are the just reward 
for former years of earnest and fruitful 
endeavor. He was long actively identi- 
fied with agricultural pursuits in this 
county and still owns a valuable farm 
of IfiO acres, in Taylor township. 

Frederick M. Farr was born in Marion 
county, Missouri, on January 28, 1843, 
and is a son of William and Violet (For- 
sythe) Farr. His father was born in 
Virginia, whence he came to Missouri in 
an early day, becoming one of the 
pioneers of Marion county, where he was 



engaged in farming and stock-raising 
until 1849, when he joined the exodus of 
gold seekers who wei'e making their way 
across the plains to the new Eldorado in 
California. He never returned to his 
former home and passed the closing 
years of his life in Austin county, Texas, 
where he died in 1864. The maiden 
name of his first wife was VanVactor 
and for his second wife he married i\Iiss 
Violet Forsythe, who was boni in the 
state of Kentucky and whose death oc- 
curred in 1890. Of the six children only 
two are now living and of these the sub- 
ject of this sketch is the elder; Frances 
is the wife of Charles Newman, of San 
Antonio, Texas. 

Frederick M. Farr was reared to ma- 
turity in his native county, where his 
educational advantages were limited to 
the district schools. For several years 
he found employment at farm work and 
also cultivated rented land, and in 1868 
he took up his permanent residence in 
Shelby county, where he eventually be- 
came the owner of a fine landed estate of 
two hundred acres, making the best of 
improvements on the same and develop- 
ing one of the model farms of this sec- 
tion of the state. He started in life 
without financial resources and won suc- 
cess and independence through his own 
well directed energy and assiduous ap- 
plication. He placed true valuation on 
men and things, and has ever maintained 
the most wholesome appreciation of 
honest toil and endeavor, while his life 
has been guided and governed by the 
strictest principles of integrity and 
honor, so that he has not been denied 
the confidence and high regard of his 
fellow men. In 1909 he disposed of the 



344 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



live stock on his farm and he and his 
wife now reside in the home of liis son, 
Dr. George E. Farr, in Shelbyville. He 
rents his farm and continues to give to 
the same a general supervision in the 
matter of regulating its operation and 
keeping everything up to the customary 
high standard. He was one of the char- 
ter memljers of the Shelby County Eail- 
road Company, giving both his influence 
and tangible aid in support of the enter- 
IDrise. In politics he is a stauncli advo- 
cate of the principles of the Democratic 
party, and both he and his wife hold 
membership in the Baptist church. 

In January, 1867, Mr. Farr was united 
in marriage to Miss Frances Ann Tur- 
ner, of Shelby county, where she was 
born and reared and where her parents 
were pioneer settlers. Mr. and Mrs. 
Farr became the parents of ten children, 
of whom eight are living. Concerning 
them the following brief data is con- 
sistently entered : Thomas F. is a pros- 
perous farmer of this coimty; William 
A. is a resident of Miltonvale, Kansas; 
]\Iary Alma is the wife of Charles P. i\Ic- 
Cracken, of Knox county, Missouri; 
Frances E. is the wife of Henry M. Tur- 
ner, of Cherry Box, Missouri; Dr. 
George E., of Shelbyville, is the subject 
of an individual sketch on other pages of 
this work; Zilpha is the wife of Otis Mc- 
Cully, of Cherry Box, this state; Martha 
is the wife of Lon P. Wright, of Cherry 
Box, this county; and Prudy T. is now 
Mrs. Notley Keith, of Cherry Box. 

GEORGE E. FARR, M. D. 

Dr. Farr is one of the representative 
younger members of the medical profes- 



sion in his native county and is engaged 
in active practice in Shelbyville. He is 
recognized as an able iihysieiau and sur- 
geon, well fortified in both the theoretical 
and practical branches of his exacting 
profession, and he has gained a repre- 
sentative support since estal)]is]iing his 
home and headquarters in tJie thriving 
little city of Shelbyville. He is a son of 
Frederick ^f. Farr, a review of whose 
career appears on other pages of this 
volume, so that further reference to the 
family history is not demanded in the 
article at hand. 

Dr. Farr was born at Leonard, Shelby 
coimty, Missouri, on October 31, 1878, 
and his early educational discipline was 
secured in the district schools, after 
which he was a student in Leonard 
Academy for a period of nine months. 
Later he completed a course in Oaklawn 
College, at Novelty, this state, in which 
institution he was graduated as a mem- 
ber of the class of 1898. Thereafter he 
was a successful teacher in the schools 
of Shelby and Knox counties until 1900, 
in the fall of which year he was matricu- 
lated in the University Medical College 
of Kansas City, Missouri, in which he 
was graduated in 1906, with the degree 
of Doctor of Medicine. He initiated the 
active work of his profession by locating 
at Cherry Box, Shelby county, where he 
remained eleven months, and for the en- 
suing eighteen months he was engaged 
in practice at Novelty, this state. On 
January 8, 1909, he located in Shelby- 
ville, where he purchased the practice of 
Dr. Bob. Maupin, and where he has 
gained a secure hold upon popular con- 
fidence and esteem, both as a physician 
and as a citizen. He is a member of the 




WILLIAM A. HUGHES 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



345 



Shelliy county ^fedical Society and the 
Tri-State ^ledical Society, and is local 
medical examiner for the New York Life 
Insurance Company, the Missouri State 
Life Insurance Cimipanj^ the Intei'ua- 
tional Life Insurance Company, of St. 
Louis, and the Bankers' Life Insurance 
Company, of Des Moines, Iowa. In poli- 
tics he is a staunch adherent of the Dem- 
ocratic party, and he is afTiliated with the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and 
the Modern AVoodmen of America. The 
doctor is a bachelor. 

WILLIAM A. HUGHES. 

In even a cursory review of the careers 
of the honored business men and leading 
farmers of Shelby county there is emi- 
nent consistency and, in fact, imperative 
demand that recog-nition be given to the 
late William A. Hughes, who for seventy 
years was an honored resident of this 
county. He was a dominating figure in 
the business circles of the county, and 
through his well-directed etforts accumu- 
lated a modest fortune. Progressive in 
both private and public affairs, he 
proved a most valuable citizen, and he so 
ordered his course as to retain at all 
times the confidence and esteem of his 
fellow men. 

William A. Hughes was born in Boone 
county, Missoliri, on the IStli day of Feb- 
ruary, 1830. He was a grandson of Jo- 
sejih Hughes, one of the first pioneers to 
enter the wilderness of Kentucky, hav- 
ing emigrated to the "Blue Grass" state 
in about 1766, which was several years 
before Daniel Boone ever made a track 
in its wilderness, and there he passed the 
residue of his life, making for himself 



and family a home in what is now Jessa- 
mine county of that great state. It was 
there that the father of our subject, John 
Hughes, was born in 1777. He grew to 
manhood amid the pioneer scenes of 
Kentucky and bore his full part in clear- 
ing away the forests and helping rid the 
country of the treacherous, lurking red 
men who made life perilous to the early 
settlers. 

During the war of 1812 he saw active 
service in the northern campaign, and 
after peace was restored he returned to 
his home and began the work of clearing 
a home for himself amid the dense for- 
ests of his native county. Not being con- 
tent with the advantages offei'ed him in 
Kentucky, in 1822 he gathered together 
his belongings and started for the then 
far west, coming to Boone coimty, Mis- 
souri, in that year. The Indians were 
still in possession of the coimtiy and all 
was still a forbidding wilderness. Noth- 
ing daunted by these surroundings, he 
liegan at once the work of establishing a 
new home, and continiied to be a resident 
of that county until 1838, when he re- 
moved to Shelby county, securing a farm 
in Black Creek township, on which he re- 
sided until his death in 1865, having 
reached the advanced age of eighty-eight 
years. 

He was three times married. His first 
wife was Elizabeth Perry, who died in 
Boone county, this state. He chose for 
his second companion Mrs. Jane E. West, 
a daughter of Jose]iIi Miller, of Bourbon 
county, Kentucky, and after her death he 
married Mrs. Isabella Shambaugh, a 
daugliter of Jacob Vannort, of Virginia. 

William A. Hughes was eight years of 
age when his parents moved to Shelby 



346 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COI'XTY 



county. The countiy was unimproved 
and he bore his full part in reducing it 
to cultivation, and in early life became 
inured to the liardships and privations 
of pioneer life. He secured such educa- 
tion as was possible in the primitive 
schools of that day, which was necessa- 
rily limited. He remained on the home 
farm assisting in its labors, and on the 
death of his honored father he became 
the owner of a part of it, to which he 
added from time to time, until at the 
time of his death he was the owner of a 
fine landed estate of 320 acres, well im- 
proved with model buildings and every- 
thing that goes to make up a modern 
farm. Besides attending to his farm la- 
bors and its allied industry of live stock, 
of which he handled a large amount an- 
nually, he was also largely interested 
with the late Dr. Dimmitt and John T. 
Cooper in founding the first bank of 
Shelbyville, which was opened for busi- 
ness in 1874, and was kuown as the Shel- 
by County Savings Bank. Mr. Hughes 
continued to be interested in that bank 
for some years, when he disposed of his 
stock, but later became one of the origi- 
nal stocldiolders in the Citizens' Bank "of 
Shelbyville, and continued to be a direc- 
tor of that bank until his death, which 
occurred at Shelbyville on May 4, 1908. 

He was married in ISfJO to Miss Mary 
E. Bowling, a daughter of Alexander 
Bowling, a native of Virginia. 

One child was born to this union, Nel- 
lie E., who is now the wife of T. B. Dam- 
rell, of Shelbyville. Mrs. Damrell was a 
student of the Christian College, of Co- 
luml)ia, ^lissouri. Further mention of 
Mr. Damrcll will be found on other pages 
of this volume. 



Mrs. Hughes is still living and makes 
her home with her daughter at Shelby- 
ville, where she continues as far as possi- 
ble the church and charitable work begun 
by her husband. 

In religion Mr. Hughes was not a mem- 
ber of any denomination, but aided gen- 
erously all church organizations in the 
city and county, no matter what they be- 
longed to. In fraternal relations he be- 
longed to the Masonic fraternity, being 
a charter member of Shelbyville Lodge, 
No. 96, and was among the last of the 
charter members to pass away. 

In politics Mr. Hughes was allied with 
the Democratic party, and was an intelli- 
gent advocate of the principles and poli- 
cies for which it stood sponsor and ren- 
dered effective service in the promotion 
of the party cause, but would never con- 
sent to accept public office. 

He was a man of the loftiest princi- 
ples and strong intellectual powers, and 
will long be remembered as being among 
the most influential and honored citizens 
of Shelby county. 

His memory is revered by all who re- 
main to have remembrance of his gentle 
and noble life and who came within the 
sphere of his gracious and helpful in- 
fluence. 

JOHN IL TERBILL. 

The life and labors of the late John 'M. 
Terrill, who died at his home in Shelby- 
ville, on November 5, 1894, were such as 
to eminently entitle him to memorial 
tribute in this history, while added con- 
sistency is given from the fact that he 
was a native of this section of Missouri 
and a member of one of its honored pio- 
neer families. He was a man of broad 



IIISTOIJY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



^47 



mental ken, generous attribvites of oliar- 
acter and distinctive public spirit, and he 
did much to encourage and support 
measures and enterprises tending to ad- 
vance the civic and material progress of 
the commimity. His life was ordered 
upon the loftiest plane of integrity and 
honor and he left that best of all herit- 
ages, a good name, which is "rather to 
be desired than great riches." Through 
his own ability and well directed efforts 
he accumulated a competency, but he 
ever had a deep appreciation of the re- 
sponsibilities that success imposes and 
showed his stewardship by kindly succor 
and aid extended to "those in any ways 
afflicted in mind, body or estate." 
Loyalty is a tine thing in human nature, 
and this sterling citizen showed in all 
the relations of life the utmost loyalty, 
so that he richlj- merited the high esteem 
in which he was held by those with whom 
he came in contact. 

John M. Terrill was born in Marion 
county, Missouri, on September 12, 1825, 
and, so far as available data indicate, his 
parents came to this state from Ken- 
tucky in the early part of the second 
decade of the nineteenth century, num- 
bering themselves among the sturdy pio- 
neers of Marion county, where they 
passed the residue of their lives and 
where his father was a fai-mer by oc- 
cupation, tilling the willing soil and aid- 
ing in transforming the wilderness into 
productive fields and blossoming mead- 
ows. Owing to the exigencies and condi- 
tions of time and place, the subject of 
this memorial received in his youth only 
such educational advantages as were af- 
forded in the ])riraitive pioneer schools, 
but his alert and receptive mind enabled 



him to profit generously from the valua- 
ble lessons gained under the tutorship of 
that wisest of all head masters, expe- 
rience, and he became a man of broad in- 
formation and mature judgment. He be- 
came eventually the owner of a landed 
estate of 320 acres, in Marion and Shelby 
counties, and he was long numbered 
among the progressive and representa- 
tive farmers and stock-growers of this 
favored section of the state. He devoted 
much attention to the buying and ship- 
ping of live stock, and in this field of en- 
terprise he built up a large and prosper- 
ous business, being one of the leading 
dealers in this part of the state and gain- 
ing a wide acquaintanceship in the 
country throughout which his operations 
were extended. He continued actively 
identified with this line of business until 
about ten years prior to his demise, 
when, owing to impaired health, he re- 
moved from his homestead farm to 
Shelbjt'ville, where he thereafter lived 
virtually retired until he was summoned 
from the scene of life's mortal endeav- 
ors. In Shelbyville he purcluised the at- 
tractive and commodious residence in 
which his wife still maintains her home. 
He was one of the organizers and incor- 
porators of the Citizens' Bank of Shelb}^- 
ville and served as a member of its board 
of directors. His widow still retains his 
stock in this solid and popular financial 
institution and has also added somewhat 
to her holdings in the same. 

Mr. Terrill was ever found ready to 
contribute generously of influence and 
means to the promotion and support of 
public enterprises that met the approval 
of his judgment, and few citizens were 
more liberal and luiblic-spirited in this 



rjis 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



respect. Mrs. Terrill has endeavored to 
emulate his example in this regard and 
is known as a woman of exceptional busi- 
ness acumen and as one who takes a 
lively interest in all that touches the 
welfare of the community. She was a 
charter member of the Slielby County 
Railroad Company, and had the distinc- 
tion of being the only woman to become 
thus identified with the enterprise, to 
which she gave her support more through 
imblic spirit than from .speculative mo- 
tives. She is now associated with her 
brother, James Edelen, in the dry-goods 
and millinery business in Shelb.yville, 
where she is thus an interested |)rincipal 
in the tinn of James Edelen & Company, 
whose establishment is one of the leading- 
mercantile conceras of the countj'. Mrs. 
Tevrill is a devoted and zealous member 
of the Presbyterian church, as was also 
her husband, and in politics he was 
found arrayed as a staunch and effective 
exponent of tlie principles and policies 
of the Democratic party, though he 
never was a seeker of public office. 

On November 13, ISGG, was solemnized 
the marriage of Mr. Terrill to Miss Nan- 
nie Edelen, who was bom in Marion 
county, this state, on April 25, 1843, and 
who is a daughter of George and Ann 
(McElroy) Edelen, the both of whom 
were born in Kentucky. The parents 
were numbered among the sterling pio- 
neers of this section of the state and the 
father was a merchant by vocation. The 
father died at Hannibal on October 20, 
1843, and mother at Shelbj-A-ille on Jime 
25, 1899, aged eighty-six years. Mr. and 
Mrs. Terrill had no children. Mrs. Ter- 
rill has been a prominent and popular 
member of the social circles of Shelbv- 



ville, and here her friends are in num- 
ber as her acquaintances. 

JAMES EDELEN. 

One of the venerable and essentially 
representative business men of Shelby- 
ville is James Edelen, who is here en- 
gaged in the general merchandise busi- 
ness, as head of the well known firm of 
James Edelen & Co. His career has been 
one of marked productive activity and 
much success, and he is one of the hon- 
ored citizens of the countj' which has 
represented his home during the major 
portion of his life, being a native son of 
Missouri and a member of one of its ster- 
ling pioneer families. His status in the 
community renders specially consistent 
a review of his career within the pages 
of this historical publication touching 
Shelby county. 

James Edelen was born in the little 
village of AVarren, Clarion county, Mis- 
souri, on July 25, 1839. His father, 
George Edelen, was born in the state of 
Kentucky in 1808, and was a scion of a 
worthy pioneer family of that common- 
wealth. George Edelen was reared to 
manhood in Kentucky and there he ini- 
tiated his eft'orts in connection with the 
general merchandise business, with 
which he continued to be identified in his 
native state until about 1833, when he 
came to Missouri and settled in the vil- 
lage of AVarren, Marion county, where 
he opened a general store, to the conduct- 
ing of which he continued to give his at- 
tention until his death, which occurred 
in 1843, having been fairly successful in 
his business affairs after coming to Mis- 
souri. In 1838 he was united in mar- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



349 



riage to Miss Auu McElroy, who like- 
wise was a native of Kentucky and who 
survived him by a number of years, her 
death having occurred in Shelbyville in 
Shelby county, in 1899, whither she re- 
moved with her two children after the 
death of the husband and father. Of the 
children the subject of this sketch is the 
elder, and Nannie, the widow of John M. 
Terrill, now maiutains her home in Shel- 
byville, Missouri. 

James Edelen gained his early educa- 
tional discipline in the common schools 
of his native county, and he was eighteen 
years of age at the time of the family re- 
moval to Shelby county, where he con- 
tinued his studies for a time in the pub- 
lic schools of Shelbyville. He and his 
mother purchased a farm of 120 acres 
near Shelbyville, and after leaving 
school he there continued to devote his 
attention to farming and stock growing 
for the ensuing five years, at the expira- 
tion of which, in 1864, he and his mother 
and sister removed from the farm to 
Shelbyville, where he was engaged in the 
general merchandise business for three 
years, as a member of the firm of 
Vaughn & Edelen, his associate being 
Wilson Vaughn. He then sold his inter- 
est in this enterprise, having also dis- 
posed of the farm previously mentioned, 
and after his retirement from the mer- 
cantile trade he purchased 176 acres of 
excellent land in Black Creek township. 
He removed with his family to this place, 
upon which he made many substantial 
improvements, developing the projjerty 
into one of the model farms of the coun- 
ty. There he continued his active oper- 
ations as a general agriculturist and 
stock grower until 1881, and in the mean- 



while he had also become one of the in- 
terested principals in the firm of himself, 
John Sattles, Chaiies A. Haskins, James 
Vandever and James Gevin, which en- 
gaged in the importing of high-grade 
draft horses from Prance, the animals 
being sold from the well-equipped sales 
stables maintained bj' the firm in the vil- 
lage of Shelbina. The enterprise proved 
very profitable to those concerned, and 
Mr. Edelen also found that his farm con- 
tributed much to the sucees of the busi- 
ness, affording fodder and pasturage for 
the horses imported and raised by the 
firm of which he was a member. Upon 
leaving the farm, in 1881, he took up his 
residence in Shelbina, and after dispos- 
ing of his interest in the horse-import- 
ing business at a distinctive profit, he re- 
turned to the farm, to which he contin- 
ued to give his attention until 1887, when 
he sold the property and removed to 
Kansas, establishing his home in Mc- 
Cracken, Eush county, that state, where 
he became a prominent and influential 
citizen, having there become associated 
in the ownership and operation of a well 
equipped flour mill and also having be- 
come one of the principal stockholders 
of the Bank of McCracken, in McCracken, 
in which institution he still continues to 
be thus interested, also owning village 
property and farm land in that section 
of the Sunflower state. While a resident 
of McCracken he also conducted a pros- 
perous enterprise in the buying and sell- 
ing of farm lands and in the conducting 
of a general real estate business. 

In the year 1890 Mr. Edelen returned 
to Shelbyville, where he has since been 
engaged in the general merchandise bus- 
iness, as head of the firm of James Ede- 



350 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



len & Co. The large and well equipped 
establislmient handles a stock whose 
average valuation is fully $20,000, and 
the trade of the concern extends through- 
out the territory normally tributary to 
Shelbyville. The business represents 
one of the leading mercantile concerns of 
the county, and the reputation of the firm 
is of the highest order, as fair and honor- 
able dealings have begotten the most im- 
plicit popular confidence and esteem. Mr. 
Edelen is a man of excellent judgment 
and much executive and initiative abil- 
ity, as is evident when we revert to the 
fact that no enterprise with which he has 
identified himself during his long and 
active career has been a failure. In poli- 
tics he is a staunch adherent of the Dem- 
ocratic party, though never ambitious 
for the honors and emoluments of public 
office, and both he and his wife are ear- 
nest and zealous members of the Metho- 
dist Episcopal Church, South. 

On September 1, 1864, Mr. Edelen was 
united in marriage to Miss Susan Sheetz, 
who was born and reared in Shelby 
county, being a daughter of the late 
Henry Sheetz, who was a ]iioneer of the 
county. They have never had children, 
but have reared and educated a boy and 



girl. 



WALTER A. DIMMITT. 



A scion of one of the honored and 
pj-ominent pioneer families of Missouri 
and standing well to the forefront as one 
of the representative citizens of Shelby 
county, where he has extensive real es- 
tate and cai)italistic interests, Mr. Dim- 
mitt holds the well merited prestige ap- 
pertaining to large and definite accom- 
])lisliniont through individual ability and 



effort, and he is thus specially well en- 
titled to recognition in this historical 
publication, which has to do with Shelby 
county and its people. He was for many 
years one of the leading merchants of the 
county and he continued to maintain his 
home in Shelbyville, where he still has 
large interests, until May, 1909, when he 
established his home in the attractive 
village of Shelbina. His course has been 
marked by inviolable integrity and honor 
and in all the relations of life, and he 
commands the unqualified esteem of all 
who know him. 

Walter A. Dimmitt was born in Monti- 
cello, Lewis county, Missouri, on Novem- 
ber 22, 1850, and is a son of Dr. Philip 
Dimmitt, a sketch of whom appears else- 
where in this volume. 

He gained his early educational dis- 
cipline in the country schools of Shelby 
county, having been a lad of ten years at 
the time of the family removal from 
Booneville to this county. After com- 
pleting this limited curriculum he con- 
tinued his studies in the high school in 
Shelbyville, and that he duly profited by 
his scholastic advantages is shown in the 
fact that for four years he was a suc- 
cessful teacher in the district schools of 
this county, devoting his attention to 
such pedagogic labors during the winter 
terms and being identified with agricul- 
tural pursuits during the intervening 
periods. In 1874 he engaged in the gen- 
eral merchandise business in Shelby- 
ville, and for more than a score of years 
he was actively identified with this line 
of enterprise, in connection with which 
he built up a business of wide scope and 
importance and one through which he 
gained large financial returns. He re- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



351 



tired from tliis business in 1902, and 
upon liis career in connection with the 
practical activities of life there rests no 
shadow of wrong or injustice. Thus it 
may well be understood that he holds as 
his own the unqualified confidence and 
esteem of the people of the community 
in which practically his entire life has 
been passed. From 1897 imtil 1905 Mr. 
Dimmitt was editor and publisher of tlie 
Shelby County Guard, a weekly paper, 
and he made the same an effective expon- 
ent of local interests and also of the 
cause of the Democratic party, of which 
he has ever been a staunch adherent. Mr. 
Dimmitt is one of the extensive landhold- 
ers of tlie county, where he is the owner 
of 1,060 acres, and in the thriving little 
city of Shelbyville he is the owner of an 
entire block of buildings used for busi- 
ness purposes. For twelve j^ears he was 
a stockholder and director in the Citi- 
zens' Bank of Shelbwille, and he served 
fourteen years as a member of the board 
of education of this city. He is one of 
the substantial capitalists and progress- 
ive and public-spirited citizens of Shelby 
county, and his aid and influence are 
ever to be relied upon in the support of 
measures and enterprises tending to ad- 
vance the material and civic welfare of 
the community. He was one of the char- 
ter members of the Shelby County Rail- 
road Company, in which he is still the 
owner of a considerable amount of stock. 
His various business interests are still 
centered in Slielbyville, though he now 
resides in Shelbina, as has already been 
noted, having purchased an attractive, 
modern residence in the latter village. 
Both he and his wife hold membership 



in the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
South. 

June 4, 1872, liore record of the mar- 
riage of Mr. Dimmitt to Miss Ann Eliz- 
abeth Vaughn, who was born and reared 
in Shelby county, and who is a daughter 
of the late Wilson Vaughn, a prominent 
Inisiness man and influential citizen of 
Shelbyville. To Mr. and :\lrs. Dimmitt 
have been born five children, all of whom 
are living and concerning whom the fol- 
lowing brief data are entered : Philip V. 
is now a resident of the city of St. 
Ijouis, where he is engaged in the post- 
office; Walter T. is engaged in the jew- 
elry business at Shelbyville, this state; 
Roy is identified with business interests 
in the city of Birmingham, Alabama; 
Joseph holds a position in a business 
house in St. Louis; and Bertha remains 
at the parental home. 

ROBERT T. JACKSON. 

The senior member of the real estate 
firm of Jackson & Neff, of Shelbyville, 
the subject of this sketch, is a native son 
of Shelby county, with whose annals the 
family name has been identified for 
nearly seventy years, and he is one of 
the well known citizens and successful 
business men of the county, where he 
commands unqualified popular esteem. 
He is the owner of a valuable farm prop- 
erty in the county, and was for many 
years actively identified with agricul- 
tural pursuits. 

Mr. Jackson was born on the old Mar- 
maduke homestead farm, in Black Creek 
township, this county, on May 23, 1851, 
and is a son of Thomas and Mary (Fer- 



352 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



guson) Jackson, both of whom were 
born and reared m North Carolina, 
where the respective families were 
founded in an early day. The father 
was born in the year 1807, and in 1841 he 
came to ^Missouri and settled on the old 
Marmaduke faiTa, as it is now known, 
near Shelbyville, where he continued to 
devote his attention to agricultural jiur- 
suits for fourteen years, at the expira- 
tion of which he removed with his family 
to a farm about ten miles northwest of 
Shelbyville, in Leutner township, where 
he continued engaged in general farming 
and stock growing until his death, which 
occurred on April 27, 1867, at which time 
he was about sixty years of age. At the 
time of his death he was the owner of a 
well improved farm of 170 acres, and 
was one of the substantial citizens of the 
county, '^\;here he was ever known as a 
man of the highest integrity and as one 
whose life was one of signal usefulness 
and honor. In polities, while never a 
seeker of office, he was a staunch and in- 
telligent advocate of the principles of the 
Democratic party, and during the Civil 
war he favored and su]iiiorted the cause 
of the South. Both he and his wife were 
consistent members of the ^lethodist 
Episcopal Church, South. They were 
married in Xorth Carolina in 1830. and 
Mrs. Jackson was sunnnoned to the life 
eternal in 1881, at the age of seventy- 
three years. Of tlieir seven children all 
are living save one. Perry is a ]irosper- 
ous farmer of Shelby county ; Mary Jane 
also resides in tliis county and is not 
married; Martin is a resident of Linn 
county, Oregon; Sarah E. is the wife of 
Elias Edmonds, of Shelby county; 
Thomas is a resident of Josephine coun- 



ty, Oregon ; and Eobert T., of this sketch, 
is the youngest of the children. The one 
deceased is Perthia, who was the wife of 
AVilliam K. Grundy, and who died in 
Shelby county. 

Eobert T. Jackson secured his early 
education in the district schools of Shel- 
by county, and through his active asso- 
ciation with men and affairs he has be- 
come a man of broad general informa- 
tion and marked business ability. ^Vfter 
his school days he was associated in the 
work and management of the old home- 
stead farm until 1874, after which he 
continued in the same line of enterprise 
on his own responsibility, becoming one 
of the successful farmers and stock 
raisers of the county and continuing to 
be actively concerned in the operation of 
his well improved farm until 1898, since 
which year he has maintained his home 
in Shelby\'ille. He is still the owner of 
his farm, which comprises 140 acres, and 
which is located in Lentner townshi]). 
Upon locating in Shelbyville he estab- 
lished himself in the real estate business, 
in connection with which he has built up 
a prosperous enterprise and handled a 
large amount of property. Since 1906 
he has been associated in this business 
with Andrew J. Neff, under the firm 
name of Jackson & Nefif. He has also 
rendered efficient service as a carrier on 
one of the rural free mail delivery 
routes from Shelbyville. He is a loyal 
and public spirited citizen, his political 
allegiance is given to the Democratic 
party. He is affiliated with the Court of 
Honor and botli he and his wife hold 
membership in the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, South. 

On December 10, 1870, :\Ir. Jackson 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



353 



was united in marriage to Miss Cather- 
ine F. Carroll, who was lioru and reared 
in Shelby coimty, where her father, the 
late Phasant B. Carroll, was a represent- 
ative farmer. Of the four children of 
this marriage tliree are living — Nona 
"\'irgina is the wife of Vergil F. Hirriliu- 
ger, a farmer of this county ; Thomas is 
a resident of the city of Seattle, Wash- 
ington; and Nellie is the wife of L. E. 
Carson, of Shelby county. 

WILLIAM R. TURNER. 

No monarch is so independent as the 
farmer who holds title to pi'oductive 
acres of ground, and there is a decidedly 
etliical significance in the sovereignty of 
the soil. No man was ever contaminated 
by association with nature, and to our 
nation the farm has given brain and 
brawn. Along whatever paths their am- 
liition may lead them, men who have 
known the solace of association and gen- 
erous companiouship with nature ever 
find allurement in the great basic in- 
dustry under whose influence they were 
reared. It is emphatically one of the at- 
tractive features of this historical com- 
pilation that within its pages are found 
represented many of its successful aud 
enterprising farmers and stock-growers, 
and not a few of these claim Shelby 
county as the place of their nativity. Of 
this number is William R. Turner, who 
is the owner of one of the fine farm es- 
tates of the county and who has made so 
distinctive a specialty and success of the 
breeding of high-grade sheep that he has 
gained the local sobriquet of "Sheep 
Turner", to wliicji, owing to the wide 



reputation he has attained in this field of 
enterprise, he can find no objection. 

William R. Turner was born on his 
father's homestead farm, in Black Creek 
township, this county, on February 12, 
1856, and is a son of Holman aud Cath- 
erine A. (Settles) Turner, the former of 
whom was born in Kentucky on Febru- 
ary 21, 1828, and the latter of whom was 
])orn in Virginia on June 21, 18.3.3. The 
marriage of this worthy couple was 
solemnized on February G, 1851, and of 
their nine children seven are now living, 
namely : Mary Jane, who is the wife of 
Rev. William N. Wainwright, a clerg\'- 
man of the M. E. Church, South, and 
now a resident of Monette, Missouri; 
William R., who figures as the immediate 
subject of this review; Susan C, who is 
the wife of Newton Garrison, deceased, 
of Bethel township; Lillian, who is the 
wife of John J. Hewitt, of Shelbyville, 
this county; James, who is a representa- 
tive farmer of Shelby county, as is also 
Charles; and Anna, who is the wife of 
Thomas Herbst, of this county. The 
honored father came to Missouri in an 
early day and located on a farm about 
ten miles east of Shellmnlle, where he 
became one of the substantial pioneer 
agriculturists of Shelby county. Tie was 
a successful mule dealer, buying mules' 
colts and keeping them until three years 
old and had a very fine bunch of mules 
on hand when death claimed him on De- 
cember 4, 1866, at which time he was but 
thirty-nine years of age. His widow 
now survives and lives on the old home 
place two miles north of Shelb^^'ille. 
Both were devout mem1)ers of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Clnu'ch, South, aud in 



3.54 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



politics lie was aligned as a stalwart and 
intelligent supporter of the principles 
and policies of the Democratic party. He 
was held in high esteem as a man of in- 
violable integrity and honor and as a 
citizen of sterling worth. 

William R. Turner is indebted to the 
district schools of his native county for 
his early educational discipline, which 
has been effectively supjilemented by the 
valuable lessons gained in the broad 
school of experience, and he was reared 
to manhood under the invigorating in- 
fluences of the farm. After leaving 
school he engaged in farming on rented 
land, and he thus continued operations 
until 1880, after which he passed about 
two years as clerk in mercantile estab- 
lishments, and for a time he owned and 
conducted a furniture store at Shelby- 
ville and clerked in Captain Collier's 
store one year. In 1882 he removed to 
a farm in Black Creek township, about 
two and one-half miles north of Shelby- 
ville, where he has since maintained his 
home and where, through his well di- 
rected energies and progressive ideas he 
has attained a high degree of s;iccess, 
being now the owner of a well improved 
farm of 286 acres, the major portion of 
which is available for cultivation. Mr. 
Turner has made a success of handling 
pure bred stock along all lines, his motto 
being, "The Best Is None Too Good." 

In 1885 he began the breeding of pure 
blooded Shropshire sheep, and was so 
successful in this undertaking that in 
1893 he exhibited his sheep at the 
World's Fair in Chicago, and carried off 
first lionors in this class, competing with 
the entire world. 

In 1886 Mr. Turner turned his at- 



tention to the breeding of Duroc-Jersey 
hogs, and has been more than success- 
ful in this undertaking — he often pays 
as high as $300 for his male hogs — and 
his herd is now considered among the 
best in the state. 

In addition to this he is largely inter- 
ested in the breeding of "Short Horn" 
cattle, and for some years held annvial 
sales at Slielbina and other points in tlie 
county, ])ut on account of the vast 
amount of labor connected with this de- 
partment, he has abandoned that feature 
of the business and now carries but a 
limited number of exceptionally fine bred 
animals on the home farm. 

Mr. Turner's success in life has been 
due to his own efforts, having never had 
the advantages of capital, other than 
that he borrowed on his own security, 
but by fair dealing and strict attention 
to business he so(m gained for himself 
a reputation for honesty that enabled 
him to secure from the banks any amount 
of capital needed to successfully conduct 
his business. He is known as one of the 
representative farmers and stock-grow- 
ers of the county and as a man of much 
enterprise, ambition and progi'essive- 
ness, while his course has been so di- 
rected in all the relations of life that 
he has not been denied the fullest meas- 
ure of ]iopular confidence and esteem in 
the county that has been his home from 
the time of his nativity. In politics he 
is aligned as a staunch supporter of the 
cause of the Democratic party and both 
he and his wife hold membership in the 
^Fcthodist E]iisco))al church. South. 

On September 11, 1881, :\[r. Turner 
was united in marriage to Miss Mary 
Ann Doyle, who was born and reared in 




GEO. W. HUMPHREY 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Saline county, this state, where her 
father, the late B. G. Doyle, was a suc- 
cessful farmer. Of the six children of 
this union, one, a son, Gordie AV. Turner, 
died at the age of two years, and the 
other five are still living, namely: Ade- 
laide ^lay, who is the wife of Marion 
Feeley, a farmer of this county; and 
(Vera Florence, Cleveland Doyle, are in 
Colorado) Wade Grafflin, and Richard 
Lee, are at the parental home. 

SENATOR GEORGE W. HUMPHREY. 

Eminent in his profession, distin- 
guished in official relations and upright 
in his private life, Hon. George W. Hum- 
phrey, one of the leading lawyers of 
Shelby county and state senator from the 
Ninth Missouri senatorial district, well 
justifies his right to the high jjlace he 
holds in the councils of the state and the 
confidence and esteem of the people. ' In 
every relation, public and private, he has 
exhibited an elevated standard of excel- 
lence and proven himself to be a high 
type of the citizenship of the state. 

Senator Humphrey was born near 
Rushville, Illinois, on August 21, 1865. 
He is a son of William T. and Mary 
(Rodifer) Huinphrey, the former a na- 
tive of Kentucky and the latter of Mis- 
souri. The father was a farmer and lum- 
ber merchant, whose undertakings were 
extensive and profitable, and gave scope 
for the full exercise of his superior and 
commanding mental faculties. He is 
now living retired from active pursuits 
at Slielbina. Always patriotic and de- 
voted to the welfare of his country, when 
the Cival war broke out he followed his 



convictions into the Confederate army, 
and during the momentous conflict which 
shook this country to its very founda- 
tions, rendered active and heroic service 
to the cause he favored. He participated 
in numerous engagements, and on one oc- 
casion faced it in captivity, being sen- 
tenced to be shot at Palmyra with a 
number of other prisoners. A few hours 
before the time fixed for the execution of 
the sentence he was released, and thus 
escaped the fate he seemed destined to, 
which the other prisoners suffered. It 
is worthy of note in this connection, that 
the first money ever earned by his son, 
Senator George W. Humphrey, was ex- 
])ended for a handsome monimient, which 
he caused to be erected in the cemetery 
at Palmyra to the memory of Hiram 
Smith, the man who was substituted for 
his father at the time of the execution 
of Confederate prisoners at that place. 

The family, on the father's side, is of 
English ancestry, but has long been resi- 
dent in this country. The grandfather 
of the senator, William Henry Hum- 
phrey, was born in Harrison county, 
Kentucky, and came to Missouri in 1839, 
making the journey on the rivers. He 
located in Lewis county, where he took 
up a tract of wild land and by skillful 
and systematic husbandry transformed it 
into a well improved and highly produc- 
tive farm. On this he passed the remain- 
der of his days, dying at a good old age 
and leaving behind him the ])riceless leg- 
acy of a good name and in addition a val- 
uable monument to his thrift and enter- 
prise in the excellent farm which he had 
redeemed from the wilderness and made 
fruitful in all the products of advanced 



356 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



agriculture. His offspring numbered 
five, four sons and one daughter. Of 
these two sons are living. 

Senator Humphrey was reared in 
Lewis county, this state, and obtained his 
education in the public schools and at La 
Grange College. He taught in the public 
schools for a number of years and for 
some time was the superintendent of 
those in Shelbj-^dlle. In 1890 he began 
the study of law in the office and under 
the direction of Hon. R. P. Giles, of Shel- 
bina, who was elected a member of the 
United States House of Representatives 
in 1896. He was admitted to the bar in 
1893, and for nearly a year was a partner 
of Hon. James T. Lloyd, the present rep- 
resentative of the district in the congress 
of the United States. 
' In 1907 he formed a co-partnership 
with J. T. Gose, who is still associated 
with him. From the dawn of his man- 
hood, and even long before that, lie has 
taken a dee]i and earnest interest in pub- 
lic affairs, both local and general, being 
a close and reflective student of political 
policies and governmental theories. He 
is therefore wise on the subject and the 
people know it. They showed their con- 
fidence in his intelligence and public 
spirit by electing him to represent them 
in the state senate in the fall of 1904. The 
period since his election has been an ex- 
acting and fruitful one, and has given 
him exceptional opportunities for demon- 
strating that the public confidence ex- 
pressed in his election was not misplaced. 
He has been prominent in every session 
of the legislature since his election, in- 
cluding the extra session of 1905, which 
had highly important matters for the 



welfare of the state to consider and dis- 
pose of. 

In the most elevated legislative forum 
in the state Senator Humphrey has 
served on many important committees, in- 
cluding the committee on appropriations, 
of which he was chairman in the session 
of 1907, and others of which he was made 
a member by special resolution of the 
senate. He was president pro tempore 
of the senate in 1909 and 1910, and as 
such served as governor during the ab- 
sence of the governor and lieutenant gov- 
ernor from the state. It is worthj^ of 
note that in the whole history of Mis- 
souri he has been the second man who 
has enjoyed the distinction of occui)ying 
the govei-nor's chair as a member of the 
political party whose candidate was not 
elected to the office, and also that of be- 
ing the only president pro tempore of the 
senate who has done this. "While presi- 
dent pro tempore of the senate he ap- 
pointed all committees for the entire ses- 
sion. These are small and accidental 
events, it is true, but they are significant 
in showing that a man universally es- 
teemed throughout the state had been 
placed in a position of exalted trust and 
prominence, and was therefore ready for 
the performance of a duty for which he 
had not been especially chosen. With one 
voice the people of the state rejoiced that 
their welfare had fallen into such clean 
and capable hands for proper preserva- 
tion and promotion. 

Senator Humphrey has been the legal 
counselor of the city authorities of Shel- 
bina during all of the last twelve years 
and has rendered them satisfactory sei'v- 
ice in that capacity. He has also served 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



357 



the city as mayor, giving it a clean and 
progressive administration and looking 
carefully after all its interests. All his 
life he has shown a deep and abiding in- 
terest in the welfare of the community of 
his home and given his active and intelli- 
gent aid to every worthy undertaking de- 
signed to promote the comfort, conve- 
nience and substantial good of its people. 
In fraternal relations he is united with 
the Masonic order, the Knights of Pyth- 
ias and the Order of Elks. His relig- 
ious affiliation is with the Baptist church. 
On November 25, 1903, he was married to 
Miss Gertrude List, an adopted daughter 
of the late W. H. Warren, of Shelbina, a 
sketch of whom will be found in this 
work. Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey are the 
parents of three children, their sons, 
William W., George E. and Patrick List, 
who bless and brighten the domestic 
shrine by their presence and the hopes of 
future good which they inspire in their 
]iarents and all who know them. 

WILLIAM STEINBACH. 

A sterling citizen and native son of 
Shelby county, Mr. Steinbach has been 
identified with the agricultural industry 
in said county during his entire active 
career, marked by industry and generous 
accomplishment, and he is now the 
owner of a fine landed estate of 255 acres, 
where he continued to reside until April, 
1909, when he took up his abode in his 
native vilhige of Bethel, where he owns 
and occupies an attractive and commo- 
dious residence. 

Mr. Steinbach was born in Bethel, this 
county, on December 22, 1851, and is a 
son of Philip and Elizabeth (Froelich) 



Steinbach, whose marriage was solem- 
nized in the year 18-14 and both of whom 
were natives of Germany. 

Philip Steinbach was born on Feb- 
ruary 6, 1824, and was reared and edu- 
cated in his native land, whence he immi- 
grated to America as a young man. In 
1845 he became a member of the German 
colony founded at Bethel, Shelby county, 
Missouri, and he became one of the pros- 
perous farmers and stock growers of the 
county, having continued his residence 
in the village of Bethel until the disband- 
ing of the colony, after which he resided 
on his farm. He passed the closing years 
of his life, however, in Bethel, where he 
died on April 6, 1909, at the venerable 
age of eighty-five years. His life was 
one of sig-nal integrity and honor, and he 
was not denied the fullest measure of 
popular confidence and esteem in the 
community that so long represented his 
home and the scene of his earnest and 
fruitful endeavors. He was one of the 
organizers of the Bank of Bethel, of 
which he was president for ten years and 
of which he continued a dii'ector until 
the time of his death. He contributed 
materially to the industrial and social 
u]ibuilding of the county and was a 
broad-minded and loyal citizen. His po- 
litical support was given to the Reimbli- 
can party, with which he identified him- 
self at the time of its organization, and 
botli he and his wife, who died on Octo- 
ber 7, 1888, were consistent members of 
the Methodist Episcopal church. They 
liecame the parents of nine children, of 
whom seven are living — Philip, William, 
George and Henry, all of whom still re- 
side in this county; Elizabeth, who is the 
wife of Julius Will, of Green City, Sulli- 



358 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



van county; Mary, who is the wife of 
George Kraft, of Bethel ; and Christian, 
who likewise resides in this village. 

William Steinbach gained his early 
education in the village schools of Bethel, 
and as a youth he learned the trade of 
blacksmith, to which he here devoted his 
attention for a period of fifteen years, 
having been a skilled artisan and built 
up a successful business. His career has 
been marked by consecutive and well di- 
rected industry and also by that earnest 
regard for principle that ever calls forth 
the confidence and good will of men. 
After abandoning the work of his trade 
he removed to a fami in Bethel township, 
where he continued successful operations 
as an agriculturist and stock grower un- 
til the spring of 1909, since which time 
he has lived retired in Bethel, where he 
is enjoying the rewards of former toil 
and endeavor and is surroimded by 
friends tried and true. He owns 255 
acres of most productive farming land, 
has made the most substantial improve- 
ments on the property and still gives to 
the same a general supervision. In poli- 
tics he is found arrayed as a staimch and 
intelligent advocate of the cause of the 
Eepublican party, and he and his wife 
hold membership in the M. E. church. 

On September 14, 1879, Mr. Steinbach 
was united in marriage to Miss Mary 
Ziegler, who was ])orn and reared in this 
county, being a daughter of George Zieg- 
ler, who was for many years a represent- 
ative citizen of Bethel, where his death 
occurred. Mr. and Mrs. Steinbach have 
four children, namely: Sojjhia, who is 
the wife of AValter r'nrry, of Kit Carson 
county, Colorado; and Albert W. and 



Flora (twins), and John, all of whom 
remain at the parental home. 

ALBERT W. STEINBACH. 

Mr. Steinbach is a reiDresentative of 
the third generation of the family in 
Shelby county, of which he is a native 
son, and he stands essentially as one of 
the alert, enterprising and loyal business 
men of the younger generation in the 
county and as a citizen whose popularity 
in the community is of the most unequiv- 
ocal type. He is incumbent of the impor- 
tant ofSce of cashier of the Bank of 
Bethel, of which his honored grand- 
father, the late Philip Steinbach, was 
one of the founders and for a decade the 
president. Mr. Steinbach is a son of 
William Steinbach, a sketch of whose 
career is given on other pages of this 
volume, so that further review of the 
family history is not demanded in the 
present connection. 

Albert W. Stein))ach was born in the 
village of Bethel, this county, on April 
26, 1883, and to the public schools of his 
native town he is indebted for his early 
educational training. He manifested 
distinct predilection for business and in 
1 906, when but twenty- three years of age, 
he was elected cashier of the Bank of 
Betliel, of which position he has since 
continued incumbent. His administra- 
tion of the practical affairs of the insti- 
tution has been marked by discrimina- 
tion, judgment and progressive policy, 
and his efforts have been a distinct fac- 
tor in the upbuilding of the substantial 
business of the bank, which is one of tlie 
well-conducted and alily managed fiuan- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



350 



cial institutions of the county and one 
which receives a representative support. 
]\Ir. Steiubach manifests a deep inter- 
est in all that tends to conserve the prog- 
ress and material and social prosperity 
of his native town and county and lends 
his influence and aid in the promotion of 
all worthy public enterprises. He is a 
stalwart in the local camp of the Repub- 
lican party, is a member of the Metho- 
dist Episcopal church and is affiliated 
with the Masonic fraternity, the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows and the 
Modern Woodmen of America. He is a 
popular figure in the social life of the 
community and his circle of friends, is 
coincident with that of his acquaintances. 

JOHN C. BOWER. 

Mr. Bower is one of the substantial 
citizens of Shelby county, which has rep- 
resented his home from his boyhood 
days, and here he is the owner of a well 
improved farm of 320 acres, eligibly lo- 
cated in Bethel township. The farm is 
now rented to his elder son, and Mr. 
Bower is living virtually retired in the 
village of Bethel, where his parents 
settled in the pioneer days, as member 
of the sturdy Gennany colony founded 
here in the '40s. 

John C. Bower claims the old Key- 
stone state of the Union as the place of 
his nativitj', having been born in Beaver 
county, Pennsylvania, on July 23, 1833, 
and being a son of John L. and Chris- 
tina (Schnaufer) Bower, both natives of 
Wurtemburg, Germany, the father hav- 
ing been born in the year 1800. Their 
marriage was solemnized in the year 
1832, in Pennsylvania. Of their twelve 



children eight are now living, and con- 
cerning them the following brief record 
is entered: John C, the eldest, is the 
immediate subject of this review; and 
Tlieodore L., Samuel F., Walter C, 
Christina, August, and David, all of 
whom are residents of Bethel, this 
county ; and Miranda, who is the wife of 
Charles F. Stecher, of Camp Point, Il- 
linois. Christina is the wife of William 
Seppel, a well known citizen of Bethel. 
The family name has been prominently 
and honorably linked with the industrial 
and civic progress of this section of the 
county, and its representatives of the 
present day are well worthy of the un- 
qualified esteem in which they are held 
in the community. The father came with 
his family to Missouri and numbered 
himself among the Bethel colonists in 
1846. He was a cabinetmaker by trade 
and he followed the same in Bethel 
until his death, which occurred in 1872, 
his devoted wife having been summoned 
to the life eternal in 1863. Both were 
zealous members of the Bethel Colony 
church and he was identified with the Re- 
publican party from the time of its or- 
ganization imtil his death. 

John C. Bower, whose name intro- 
duces this article, gained his early edu- 
cation in the common schools of his na- 
tive county in Pennsylvania and was 
about thirteen years of age at the time 
of the family removal to Missouri. He 
was reared to manhood in the village of 
Bethel, where he learned the trade of 
cabinetnuiking and also that of wheel- 
wright, under the able direction of his 
honored father, who was a skilled and 
versatile mechanic. He continued to be 
associated with his father in the work of 



360 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



his trade until 1870, and in the mean- 
while he has also turned his attention to 
farming and stock-growing. He event- 
ually gave his imdivided attention to tlie 
latter lines of industry, with which he 
continued to be identified during the re- 
mainder of his active business career. 
Since 1894 he has lived retired, having 
an attractive home in Bethel and renting 
his farm to his son, as has already been 
stated in this context. He is known as 
a plain, unassuming citizen of sterling 
integrity of character and as one who 
has ever borne his share in connection 
with the work of material and social de- 
velopment and progress. His political 
support is given to the Bepublican party 
and both he and his wife hold member- 
ship in the Methodist Episcopal church. 
In 1861 'Sir. Bower was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Caroline Koser, who was 
bom in the city of Philadelphia, Penn- 
sylvania, on March 1, 1833, and who 
came with her parents to Shelby county 
in the pioneer days, the family becom- 
ing members of the Bethel colony. Mr. 
and ]\Irs. Bower became tlie j^arents of 
four children, of whom three are living. 
Miranda, who is the wife of Henry Fox, 
of Bethel ; John J., who resides on and 
rents the old homestead farm of his 
father; and Gideon, who likewise is a 
successful farmer of this county. 

HARRY C. BAIR. 

The able and po])ular postmaster of 
the village of Bethel is Harry C. Bair, 
who is a native son of Shelbj^ county, 
where his grandfather, Reuben Bair, a 
native of "Westmoreland county, Penn- 
sylvania, took up his abode in 1846, hav- 



ing come hither from Stark county, Ohio. 
The postmaster is a son of Samuel J. 
Bair, who is the subject of a specific 
sketch on other pages of this volume, so 
that further reference to the family his- 
tory is not demanded in this article. 

Harry C. Bair was born in Bethel, this 
county, on October 15, 1875, and here he 
was reared to maturity, securing his 
early educational discipline in the pub- 
lic schools and assisting his father in his 
farming operations. At the age of 
twenty years he severed the home ties 
and during the ensuing five years he 
traveled about from place to place, prin- 
cipally in the west, for the sake of seeing 
the country, gaining experience, etc., the 
while he found em])loyment at various 
occupations and defrayed his expenses, 
besides saving a portion of his earnings. 
In 1900 he returned to Bethel, and here 
he followed the carpenter's trade and 
house painting until July 1, 1907, when 
he received appointment to the office of 
Postmaster, under the administration of 
President Roosevelt. He has since con- 
tinued incumbent of this position, has 
carefully handled the affairs of the office 
and has gained public commendation of 
an unequivocal type. He is well known 
in this part of the county and his friends 
are in number as his ac(|uaintances. In 
politics he is an uncompromising Re- 
publican and he has been a zealous 
worker in the local camp of the "grand 
old party." 

On August 30, 1908, Mr. Bair was 
united in marriage to Miss Bertha Zieg- 
ler, who was born and reared in Bethe! 
and who is a daughter of William F. 
Ziegler, of this village. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



361 



SAMUEL J. BAIR. 

It is gTatifying to be able to enter in 
this volume even a brief review of the 
oai-eer of this well known and honored 
citizen of Bethel, who is a member of 
one of the sterling pioneer families of 
Shelby county, which has represented his 
home from his childhood days and which 
has been the scene of large and worthy 
accomplishment on his part, in connec- 
tion with the practical and productive 
activities of life. He rendered valiant 
and faithful service as a Union soldier 
in the Civil war and in the "piping times 
of peace" his loyalty has ever been of 
the same insistent type, the while he has 
So ordered his life as to merit and re- 
ceive the unqualitied confidence and es- 
teem of his fellow men. 

Mr. Bair claims the old Buckeye state 
as the place of his nativity, as he was 
born in Stark county, Ohio, in the year 
18-t3. He is a son of Reuben and Mary 
(Berlin) Bair, both of staunch German 
lineage, and when he was about three 
years of age, in 1846, his parents came 
from Ohio to Missouri and numbered 
themselves among the German colonists 
in Bethel and vicinity, thus becoming 
pioneers of Shelby county, where they 
passed the remainder of their lives, se- 
cure in the respect and confidence of all 
who knew them. Mr. Bair's educational 
privileges were those atTorded in the vil- 
lage schools of Bethel and were some- 
what limited, owing to the exigencies of 
time and jjlace. As a youth he found 
employment in a local furniture shop, 
where he worked at the trade of cabinet 
making, to which he devoted his atten- 
tion for two years. At the age of nine- 



teen years he subordinated all other in- 
terests to tender his aid in defense of the 
Union, whose integrity was in jeopardy 
through armed rebellion. On February 
l-t, 1862, he enlisted as a private in the 
Eleventh Regiment of Missouri State 
]\Iilitia, under Cajit. James B. Lambkin, 
and he received his discharge at the ex- 
])iratioji of his term, on September 27 
following. On May 14, 1863, he re-en- 
listed in the Eleventh Missouri Cavalry, 
which was regularly mustered into the 
United States service, and he was as- 
signed to Comijany G, under Captain 
Collier. He participated in a number of 
the important engagements marking the 
conflict between the opposing forces in 
Missouri and Arkansas, and among the 
more notable of these may be mentioned 
those of Cherry Grove, Kirksville, "Walk- 
ersville. Little Rock, Devall's Blutf and 
Clarendon, besides which he took part in 
many skirmishes and other minor en- 
gagements. He continued with his regi- 
ment until the close of the war and was 
mustered out in the city of New Orleans 
on Jiily 27, 1865, duly receiving his hon- 
orable discharge. 

After thus admirably acquitting him- 
self as a loyal and faithful soldier of the 
re]3ublic, Mr. Bair returned to his native 
county and located in Shelbyville, where 
he served as carrier of mail between the 
local postoffice and La Grange for nearly 
a year, at the expiration of which period 
he returned to Bethel and in this imme- 
diate vicinity identitied himself with 
farming and stock raising, in which con- 
nection he gained marked success 
through his close application and well di- 
rected energies, and he continued to give 
the same his ])ersonal supervision until 



362 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



1906, when he sold the property. Since 
that tune he has lived virtually retired 
in the village of Bethel, where he has an 
attractive home and is surrounded by 
friends who are tried and true. In poli- 
tics he gives a staunch supjjort to the 
cause of the Republican party, taking an 
intelligent interest in the questions and 
issues of the hour. He is identified with 
the Grand Anny of the Eepublic, and 
both he and his wife are zealous members 
of the Methodist Episcopal church. He 
is now serving as justice of the peace. 

On November 4, 1SG9, Mr. Bair was 
united in marriage to j\liss Eebecca E. 
Gooden, who was born in Indiana, 
whence her pai'ents, John and Elizabeth 
Gooden, came to Shelby county, Mis- 
souri, when she was eighteen years of 
age. ^Ir. and Mrs. Bair became the pa- 
rents of five children, of whom four are 
living — William W., who is engaged in 
farming at Bethel; Harry C, who is in- 
dividually mentioned on other pages of 
this work; Mary, who is the wife of 
Bruce Rimyon, of Bethel township, this 
county; and Reuben, who lives in this 
county. 

THO:\IAS W. P. REED. 

In even a cursory review of the careers 
of the honored business men of the city 
of Shelbina there is eminent consistency 
and. in fact, imperntive demand that rec- 
ognition be given the late Thomas W. P. 
Reed, who was for more than a fourth of 
a century engaged in the real estate and 
loan business. He was a dominating fig- 
ure in the business circles of Slielliina, 
and through his well-directed efforts ac- 
cumulated a modest fortune. Progres- 



sive in both private and public affairs, he 
jiroved a most valuable citizen, and he so 
ordered his course as to retain at all 
times the confidence and esteem of his 
fellow men. 

Mr. Reed was born near Sidney, in 
Shelby county, Ohio, December '2, lS-t2. 
His parents, James and Mary (John- 
ston) Reed, were natives of Pennsylva- 
nia and Ohio, respectively. His fatlier, 
James S. Reed, was born in Lycoming 
county, Pennsylvania, but spent the most 
of his youth in Richland county, Ohio. In 
1863 he moved to Iowa, in 1866 to Saline 
county, Missouri, and the following year 
to ]\Ionroe county. After a residence 
there of a few years he became a resident 
of Shelby county, where he passed the 
residue of his life, his death occurring at 
Shelbina on February 27, 1874, and that 
of his wife in 1880. Of their four chil- 
dren one is now living. The father was 
possessed of a fine landed estate at tlie 
time of his death, besides a considerable 
amount of citj' property. He was a man 
whom every one respected for his many 
sterling qualities, and was ever ready to 
promote the best interests of the people 
among whom he resided. 

Thomas W. P. Reed was a young man 
at the time of the family removal to Mis- 
souri. After assisting for a short time 
with the labors of the home farm in Mon- 
roe county, he purchased a farm near 
Paris, Monroe county, in company with 
his brother Charles. This they success- 
fully operated until 1876, when failing 
liealth compelled him to dispose of his . 
interest in the same, and for a year fol- 
lowing was engaged in business at Ot- 
tumwa. Iowa. In 1878 he became a resi- 
dent of Shelbina, and was here activelv 




THOMAS W. P. REED 



HISTORY OP SHELBY COUNTY 



31J3 



and successfully engaged in the real es- 
tate business until his death, dh March 
31, 1900. 

In 1895 Mr. Reed was one of the ten 
men who formed what was known as 
"The Shelbina Corn Company." This 
companj' purchased the surplus corn 
crop of that year, jjlacing the same in 
cribs along the railroad, and were com- 
pelled to hold it for over three years, 
finally disposing of it at a loss of several 
thousand dollars to themselves, but they 
prevented many a poor farmer from los- 
ing everything he possessed by thus fur- 
nishing a market for his crop and at a 
price far in advance of what was being 
offered for it elsewhere. Mr. Reed was 
a large stockholder of "The Old Bank of 
Shelbina" at the time of his death, be- 
sides having a large amount of city prop- 
erty. 

He was married March 23, 1869, at 
Dayton, Ohio, to Miss Isabella Hoover. 
One child was born to them, Mary L., 
who is now the wife of John R. Morgan, 
of Shelbina, a sketch of whom will be 
found on other pages of this work. Both 
he and his wife were active and leading 
memliers of the Christian church. In 
politics he was ever found arrayed with 
the Democratic party, but never con 
sented to hold public ofSce of any kind, 
though often urged to allow his name to 
go before the people. He preferred to 
serve in the more humble position of a 
private citizen, though no worthy project 
ever went without his earnest support. 
He was a man who had unbounded confi- 
dence in the future of northern iNIissouri, 
and was ever ready to lend his aid and 
support to any \)\nn that promised to 



promote the best interests of her people. 
His wife's death occurred July 1, 1895. 

AUGUST BOWER. 

This well known business man and 
honored citizen of Bethel is a native son 
of Shelby county and a member of one of 
its sterling pioneer families. In the 
sketch of the career of his elder brother, 
John C. Bower, on other pages of this 
work, is given a review of the f amilj' his- 
tory, so that it is not necessary to repeat 
the data in the present sketch. 

August Bower was born in the village 
of Bethel, his present place of residence, 
on October 2-t, 1846, in which year his 
parents, John L. and Chi-istina (Schnau- 
f er ) Bower, had taken up their residence 
in Shelby county, whither thej' came 
from the state of Pennsylvania. In the 
village schools of Bethel Mr. Bower se- 
cured his early educational training, and 
after leaving school he served a thor- 
ough apprenticeship to the trade of shoe- 
maker, following the old German custom 
of the sturdy founders of the Bethel col- 
ony. After the completion of his appren- 
ticeship he continued to follow the work 
of his trade for a period of three years 
and he then became associated with his 
father in the general merchandise busi- 
ness in Bethel. In 1867 he and his 
brother, Theodore L., purchased their 
father's interest in the enterprise, which 
they thereafter continued with ever in- 
creasing success, under the firm name of 
T. & A. Bower, until 188-f, when their 
Inother David purchased an interest in 
the business, which was continued under 
the title of Bower Bros, for the ensuing 



364 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



four years, when August and David sold 
their interests to Theodore L., who con- 
tinued in business some years. In con- 
nection with his operations in the local 
mercantile field the subject of this re- 
view became the owner of farming prop- 
erty, which he utilized in general agricul- 
tural operations and in the raising of 
horses and cattle upon a somewhat ex- 
tensive scale. After selling out his inter- 
est in the mercantile business he devoted 
his entire attention to his farming and 
stock growing operations for a period of 
three years, when he again entered the 
general merchandise trade, associating 
himself with his brother David and son 
Wesley A. under the firm name of D. & 
A. Bower & Co., which is still retained. 
The fii-m has a large and well equipped 
store and controls an extensive business 
throughout the fine farming district trib- 
utary to the thriving little village of 
Bethel. August Bower still continues to 
give a general supervision to his farming 
interests, and his fine landed estate in 
Bethel township comprises 400 acres of 
most productive land. 

Mr. Bower is one of the substantial 
and progi'essive citizens of his native 
county and his business career has been 
marked by earnest and honest endeavor 
along noi'mal lines of enterprise, through 
which he has gained a large and definite 
success. He was one of the organizers 
and incorporators of the Bank of Bethel, 
in which he is still a stockholder, as is 
he also in the Commercial Bank of Shel- 
l)ina, another of the staunch financial in- 
stitutions of the county. He takes much 
interest in all that tends to conserve the 
material and social well-being of the 
community, is a stalwart Republican in 



his political adherency, and both he and 
his wife*are regular attendants of the 
Methodist Episcopal church. 

On March 31, 1874, Mr. Bower was 
united in marriage to Miss Priscilla 
Bair, of Bethel, a member of one of the 
well known pioneer families of this 
county, where she was born and reared. 
Of the four children three are living, 
namely : Wesley, who is engaged in bus- 
iness with his father at Bethel ; Mary, 
who is the wife of William P. Kraft, of 
this village; and Gertrude, who remains 
at the parental home, which is one of the 
attractive residences of Bethel and 
known for its generous hospitality. Be- 
sides this property ^Fr. Bower also owns 
other real estate in his home village, 
where he commands the unqualified es- 
teem of all who know him, and that im- 
plies the entire populace of this part of 
the county. 

DAVID BOWER. 

The family of which the subject of 
this review is an honored representa- 
tive has long been established in Shelby 
county, as his parents were identified 
with the founding of the staimch Ger- 
man colony whose interests centered in 
tlie village of Bethel, where he himself 
was born and with whose business atfairs 
and civic interests he is prominently 
identified. In the sketch of the career of 
his elder brother, John C. Bower, on 
other pages of this review, is given 
definite information concerning the hon- 
ored parents, and by reason of this fact 
and the facility with which reference 
may be made to the article mentioned, 
the data are not repeated in this sketch. 



HI STOP. Y OF SHELBY COUNTY' 



365 



Mr. Bowei' is one of the leadiug business 
men of Bethel, where he is junior mem- 
ber of the tirm of Bower Brotliers, who 
here conduct a thriving general merchan- 
dise business. 

Mr. Bower was born in the village that 
is now his home and the date of his na- 
tivity was December 22, 1850. He is in- 
debted to the public schools of Bethel 
for the early educational advantages 
that were ac^-orded to him, and after 
leaving school he learned the trade of 
cabinet making, to which he continued 
to devote his attention for a period of 
eight years. In 1884 he became associ- 
ated with his elder brothers, who had es- 
tablished themselves in the general mer- 
chandise business under the title of T. 
& A. Bower, and after four years of 
identification with this enterprise he and 
his brother August sold their interest in 
the same to their brother Theodore L., 
a member of the original firm. After 
his retirement from this business David 
Bower was associated with his brother 
August in general farming and stock- 
raising, to which he gave his undivided 
attention, making a specialty of the rais- 
ing of horses and cattle, until 1891, when 
he and his brother August again en- 
tered the mercantile trade, by opening a 
large and well equipped general store in 
Bethel, where they have since conducted 
a large and prosperous business, under 
the firm name of D. & A. Bower & Com- 
pany. The subject of this review still 
continues to give a general supervision 
to his farming and stock-growing inter- 
ests, and is the owner of a fine farm of 
400 acres, located in Bethel township. 
He was one of the organizers and incor- 
porators of the Bank of Bethel, in which 



he is now a member of the board of di- 
rectors, and he is also a stockholder in 
the Commercial Bank of Shelbina, this 
county. He is known as one of the re- 
liable and honorable business men and 
sulistantial and loyal citizens of his na- 
tive county, where he commands unquali- 
fied popular confidence and esteem. His 
political support is given to the Repub- 
lican party and he is now a member of 
the county central committee of Bethel 
township. He and his wife hold mem- 
bership in the Methodist Episcopal 
church. 

In the year 1884 Mr. Bower was 
united in marriage to Miss Matilda 
Bair, who was born and reared in Bethel 
and who is a daughter of Reuben Bair, a 
representative of one of the sterling pio- 
neer families of this part of the county. 
Mr. and ]Mrs. Bower have four children, 
Clara, ^Marvin, Frank and Fannie. 

CARL E. BOWER. 

Mr. Bower has the distinction of being 
the youngest bank president in his na- 
tive county, being at the present time the 
chief executive of the Bank of Bethel, 
and he is known as one of the progress- 
ive and representative business men of 
the younger generation in Shelby county, 
where he is well known and where he is 
not denied the fullest measure of ob- 
jective confidence and esteem. He is a 
son of Theodore L. Bower, one of the 
honored and influential citizens of the 
coimty, and one to whom is accorded 
consideration in a special article on 
other pages of this volume, so that 
further review of the family history is 
not demanded in the present sketch. 



•MC 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Carl E. Bower was born in Betliel, 
Slielby county, ^lissouri, on March 20, 
1871, and he gained his early educational 
discipline in the excellent public schools 
of his native village, where he completed 
the curriculum of the high school when 
twenty years of age. He then, in Jan- 
uary, 1892, engaged in the general mer- 
chandise business in his home town, be- 
coming associated in this enterprise with 
his brother, John A., under the firm 
name of Bower Brothers. They con- 
tinued the business with marked success 
for the ensuing five years, at the ex- 
piration of which the subject of this re- 
view sold his interest and, in 1897, 
opened a drug store, besides which he 
became associated with his father in the 
furniture business. He continued his 
active identification with both of these 
prosperous enterpi-ises until February, 
1909, when he sold his interest in the 
same, his father retiring from active 
business at the same time. On January 
1, 1908, Mr. Bower was elected presi- 
dent of the Bank of Bethel, of which his 
honored father was the first president, 
and he is proving a most able and dis- 
criminating executive, directing the af- 
fairs of this substantial and popular in- 
stitution with consummate judgment and 
according to the most approved and duly 
conservative ideas. He is devoting prac- 
tically his entire time and attention to 
the bank and, as already stated, is the 
youngest incumbent of this important of- 
ficial position to be found in Shelby 
county. He is aligned as a stalwart sup- 
porter of the principles and policies for 
which the Republican party stands 
sponsor, is affiliated witli the Independ- 



ent Order of Odd Fellows and the Mod- 
ern Woodmen of America. 

On October 26, 1898, was recorded the 
marriage of Mr. Bower to Miss Ella 
Vestry, of Shelbyville, this county, where 
she was reared and educated, being a 
daughter of John B. Vestry, a repre- 
sentative citizen of the attractive county 
seat city. Mr. and [Mrs. Bower have two 
children, Vivian ^laurine and Irene La- 
Carl, ilr. and Mrs. Bower are prom- 
inent and popular figures in connection 
Avith the social activities of the com- 
munity, and their pleasant home is a 
center of gracious hospitality. 

THEODORE L. BOWER. 

The Bower family has been one of spe- 
cial prominence and influence in connec- 
tion with the civic and industrial devel- 
opment of that section of Shelby county 
which has its business and social inter- 
ests centered in the thriving little village 
of Bethel, a town founded by sturdy Ger- 
man colonists more than half a century 
ago and one that has retained to the pres- 
ent day a large percentage of represent- 
atives of these worthy pioneer colonists. 
Of this number is Theodore L. Bower, 
who is one of the substantial citizens of 
the county, where he has large banking 
interests and is the owner of valuable 
farm property, besides which he was for 
many years one of the leading merchants 
of Bethel, where he is now living vir- 
tually retired, enjoying the rewards of 
former years of earnest endeavor and 
resting secured in the high esteem of all 
who know him. 

Mr. Bower is a native of Beaver coun- 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ty, Pennsylvania, where lie was born on 
November 9, 1834, and be is the second in 
order of birth of the eight surviving chil- 
dren of John L. and Christina (Schnau- 
fer) Bower. His father was born in 
^A'iirtemburg, Germany, in the year 1800, 
and the mother was a native of the same 
place, where their marriage was solemn- 
ized in 1832. In 1846 John L. Bower left 
the old Keystone state and came with his 
family to Shelby county, Missouri. He 
settled in Bethel and here engaged in the 
work of his trade, that of cabinet maker, 
becoming one of the valued and success- 
ful business men of the village and ever 
commanding the high regard of the com- 
munity with which he thus identified 
himself. Here his loved wife died in 
1863. and he was sunnnoned to the life 
eternal in 1872. He was a Kepublican 
in his political proclivities. On other 
pages of this work may be found specific 
mention of their sons, John C, August 
and David. 

Theodore L. Bower gained his rudi- 
mentary education in the common 
schools of his native state and was a lad 
of eleven years at the time of the family 
removal to Shelby county, Missouri. He 
was reared to manhood in this county 
and in the village schools of Bethel he 
completed his educational work. As a 
boy he began a practical apprenticeship 
at the cabinet maker's trade, in which he 
received instruction imder the direction 
of his father, who was a skilled artisan 
in this line. He followed the work of his 
trade imtil 1863, when he engaged in the 
general merchandise business in Bethel. 
AVith this line of enterprise he was ac- 
tively identified for many years, a por- 
tion of the time being associated with his 



brothers, and his success was large, be- 
ing based upon fair and honorable deal- 
ings and 2)opular appreciation of his 
sterling integrity of character. He re- 
tired from the mercantile business in the 
spring of 1909, and since that time he 
has lived retired, though continuing to 
give his personal supervision to his va- 
rious capitalistic and property interests. 

Mr. Bower was one of the organizers 
and incoporators of the Bank of Bethel, 
in which he is still a stockholder and of 
which he served as president from the 
time of its inception until 1896, when he 
retired from this executive office. He is 
also a stockholder in the Citizens' Bank 
of Shelbyville, the Bank of Green City 
and the First National Bank of Green 
City. He is the owner of 240 acres of 
valuable farm land in the county, the 
major portion of this propertj^ being lo- 
cated in Bethel township, and he is also 
the owner of improved realty in the vil- 
lage of Bethel. A practical, thorough 
and progressive business man, Mr. 
Bower never had any desire for public 
office, though he has been loyal to all the 
duties of citizenship and is a staunch 
supporter of the cause of the Republican 
party. 

On November 20, 1864, Mr. Bower was 
united in marriage to Miss Catherine 
Link, who was born in Ohio, whence she 
came with her parents to Shelby county 
when a child. Of the four children of 
Mr. and Mrs. Bower three are living, 
nameh" : John A., who is now a resident 
of St. Louis, Missouri; Carl E., who is 
individually mentioned on other pages 
of this work; and Clara, who is the wife 
of Andrew Boehringer, of Green City, 
this state. 



368 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



FRANK L. SCHOFIELD. 

The able and popular county treasurer 
of Shelby county is a native son of Mis- 
souri and is one of the progressive busi- 
ness men and re^jresentative citizens of 
Shelby county, where he is held in high 
popular esteem, as is evident from the 
fact that he has been chosen incumbent 
of his present responsible office. 

Mr. Schofield was born in Marion 
county, j\Iissouri, on November 9, 1862, 
and liis early educational training was 
secured in the public schools of the vil- 
lage of Palmyra, after which he com- 
pleted a course in the Gem City Busi- 
ness College, at Quincy, 111. After leav- 
ing school he became clerk in a mercan- 
tile establishment in Shelb\*\'ille, and he 
continued to be thus employed until 1885, 
save for one year devoted to agricul- 
tural pursuits. In the year mentioned he 
engaged in the confectionery biisiness in 
Shelbyville, and he has built up a pros- 
perous entel^^rise, Avhich he still con- 
ducts, having an attractive establish- 
ment and catering to a large and dis- 
criminating patronage. 

Mr. Schofield lias been essentially a 
progressive and loyal citizen and has 
been prominent in public atfairs of a 
local order. He served three terms as 
mayor of Shelbyville, giving an admira- 
ble administration as chief executive of 
the municipal government, and in 1906 
he was elected county treasurer. That 
his handling of the fiscal affairs of the 
county proved capa])le and satisfactory 
is shown in the fact that in November, 
1908, he was elected as bis own suc- 
cessor, for a term of four years. He is 
the owner of valuable real estate in 
Shelbyville, including his attractive resi- 



dence, and he has been successful as a 
business man and ijublic official. In poli- 
tics he gives an unequivocal allegiance 
to the Democratic party, in whose local 
camp he has been a zealous and effective 
worker, and both he and his wife hold 
membership in the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, South. In a fraternal way he 
is identified with the Court of Honor. 

On January 25, 1897, Mr. Schofield 
was united in marriage to Miss Ella 
Ennis, and they have one son, Frank Lee, 
who is attending the public schools of 
Shelbvville. 



HON. WILLIAM OERINGTON LUNT 
JEWETT. 

The interesting subject of this brief 
memoir, who has been a resident of Mis- 
souri for nearly forty-four years, and 
during nearly the whole of the period has 
lived in Shelbina, has the traditional ad- 
vantage in his favor of being a seventh 
son as a suppliant for Fortune's benefac- 
tions, and what is of more consequence, 
has shown in his successful career the 
])Ossession of the most useful and pro- 
ductive traits of American citizenshi]i in 
working out its destiny toward the goal 
of high ambition and utmost service to 
its day and generation. The record of 
successful men in this country embodies 
strong and forceful lessons in determina- 
tion to succeed and persistent industry 
and endurance in the struggle involved in 
that purpose. It also embodies natural 
cai)acity of a high order and adaptability 
to circumstances which is ready for all 
emorgencies. Mr. Jewett has exhibited 
in his life work all these qualities in an 
eminent degree. As a young man look- 




W. 0. L. JEWETT 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



iGd 



ing up the loug ascent to consequence 
among meu and iuspired rather than de- 
terred by its manifest ruggedness and 
obstructions ; as a soldier, meeting on tlie 
field of sanguinary conflict the enemies 
of his convictions as to the value of the 
Union and the vital importance of its 
perpetuity ; as a lawyer, defending in the 
forum of judicial contention the rights 
of individual citizens and the general 
public against those who would illegally 
invade them ; as a journalist, lucidly and 
forcibly proclaiming the truth as he saw 
it on public questions of policy and gov- 
ernment at all times and under all condi- 
tions, and as a legislator, looking solely 
to the welfare of the whole people, he 
has dignified and adorned the citizenship 
of his locality and exhilnted the loftiest 
and most admirable attributes of Amer- 
ican manhood. 

Mr. Jewett was born in Bowdoinham, 
Sadahoc county, Maine, on December 27, 
1836. He is the seventh son of Eev. Sam- 
uel and Sophornia (Huckins) Jewett, 
and with his father, mother and six 
brothers moved to Indiana in 1838, mak- 
ing the trip to what was then a remote 
and almost imknown region in a carriage. 
The family located in the southern part 
of the state, where it maintained its resi- 
dence four years. At the end of that 
period another flight in the wake of the 
setting sun was taken and a new resi- 
dence was found on a farm in Will 
county, Illinois. 

There Mr. Jewett grew to manhood 
and obtained his education. His oppor- 
timities for scholastic training were very 
limited and the facilties attending them 
were meager. But he determined to se- 
cure an education, and bv the time he 



was sixteen years of age he had prepared 
himself for admission into the academy 
at Lee Center, Lee county, Illinois, wliich 
he attended one term. During the next 
summer he "tended corn" as a full hand, 
reading history at meal time and study- 
ing Latin at night. In the winter he 
made his home with his brother. Rev. 
S. A. W. Jewett, D. D., and attended 
schools at Plainfield and Ottawa. He 
followed the instruction gained in tliose 
schools with courses of higher instruc- 
tion in Aurora Institute in the winter of 
1860-61, from which he derived great 
advantage. 

In the summer of 1861 the terrible 
cloud of Civil war, with its promised 
deluge of disaster and death, descended 
on our unhappy country, and being in- 
tense in his devotion to the Union and 
the principles he thought involved in its 
harmonious continuance, Mr. Jewett en- 
listed in opposition to its forced dismem- 
berment in Company E, Thirty-ninth 
Volunteer Infantry, in a command 
known in commendatory history as the 
"Yates Phalanx," because of its invin- 
cible courage on the field of battle. 

During his connection with this re- 
nowned factor in the federal forces of 
the war he served under General Shields 
in the Shenandoah valley in Virginia, 
and was afterward employed in the im- 
portant engagements on the Peninsula 
on the James river. In January, 1863, 
he was discharged from the service for 
disability, receiving his release at a hos- 
pital to which he had been sent on ac- 
count of an injury that resulted in sick- 
ness and disability. His release gave 
him an o]iportunity to make a visit to 
friends in Massachusetts, New Hamp- 



370 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



shire and Maine, and he tlien returned 
to his home near Wilmington, Illinois, 
where he taught school and began study- 
ing law in the office of Hon. G. D. A. 
Parks, one of the leading lawyers in that 
part of the country. 

But inured as he was by this time to 
the pursuits, incitements and promises 
of peaceful industries, the war spirit 
within him was not satiated. The war 
was still in progress, and in the autumn , 
of 1864 he again entered the Union serv- 
ice, enlisting in Battery A, First Illinois 
Artillery. In this command he marched 
with Sherman from Savannah, Georgia, 
through the Carolinas, and finally par- 
ticipated in the Grand Eeview of the 
Union Army at Washington, which sig- 
nalized the close of one of the most mem- 
orable conflicts in the history of the 
human race. 

In June, 1865, Mr. Jewett entered the 
law department of the University of 
Michigan at Ann Arbor, and in the 
spring of 1866 he was admitted to the 
bar in Michigan and Illinois. But, while 
pursuing the arduous study of his pro- 
fession as a lawyer, and even while mus- 
ing around the campfire during his mili- 
tary service, the dream of journalism 
was with him as an insistent and per- 
suasive influence. And while practicing 
law at Mt. Sterling, Illinois, until April, 
1867, he edited a paper there. During 
the month last mentioned he moved to 
Missouri, and for nearly a year there- 
after taught a public school north of 
Hunnewell. 

The goddess of the law still claimed 
him as her votary, although the dream of 
success and usefulness in journalism 
never left him for a moment. But he 



paid his devotions at the altar of the for- 
mer for some tune and left his dream 
in abeyance until later. In 1868 he 
opened a law office in Shelbina in asso- 
ciation with H. Payne Higgins, and in 
this city he has ever since had his 
home. On Jime 3, 1869, he was united 
in marriage with Miss Ella Cox, of Hun- 
newell, who at once became the mistress 
of his pleasant home in She]l)ina and one 
of the social lights and inspirations of 
the city. Of the eight children born to 
them seven have grown to maturity and 
are now living, exemplifying in their 
several stations the excellent qualities 
of citizenshi]! acquired from the teach- 
ings and example of their parents. 

In 1872, while Samuel A. Rawlings, 
one of the proprietors of the Democrat, 
was engaged in a political campaign, 
Mr. Jewett filled his place on the edi- 
torial staff of the paper for a time, con- 
ducting the publication in conjunction 
with Mr. Rawlings' partner, ]\Ir. Hosel- 
ton. Mr. Rawlings died in 1875, and 
thereafter Mr. Jewett assisted Mr. 
Hoselton in editing the paper until IMay, 
1881, when he bought a half interest in it. 
Prior to this, however, in 1870, he 
stumped the county for Hon. B. Gratz 
Brown and the enfranchisement of the 
persons prohibited from voting by the 
provisions of the Drake constitution. 
He made a high repiitation as an effec- 
tive and entertaining campaigner, and in 
1876 was elected prosecuting attorney 
of Shelby county for a term of two years, 
being re-elected at the end of his term. 

Mr. Jewett's services and the ability 
he displayed in the various fields of use- 
fulness mentioned marked liim as a 
liroper jierson for further imblic service, 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



and in 1886 he was chosen a member of 
the lower house of the state legislature, 
to which he was again elected in 1888. 
For many years before this time he had 
been prominent and zealous in the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and in 
1899 he was made Grand Master of the 
order for Missouri, filling the office with 
great credit to himself and benefit to the 
oi'der. He maintained his rank as one 
of the leading citizens of the state, and 
in 1904 was appointed by Governor Folk 
a member of the board of visitors to the 
state university. 

The last named position to which he 
was assigTied by official appointment did 
not come to him as an accident or a mere 
empty honor. He had sig-nalized his 
interest in the cause of general educa- 
tion for the people in another line of 
productive and valued usefulness. In 
1892 he was president of the Missouri 
Press Association, and for five years 
sei'ved as chairman of the legislative 
committee of the National Editorial As- 
sociation. In the Missouri Press Asso- 
ciation he secured the passage of a reso- 
lution providing for the origin of the 
State Historical Society, with headquar- 
ters at Columbia, and in 1906 was its 
president. He is also called the "Father 
of the School of Journalism" at the 
State University, because he got the Mis- 
souri Press Association to adopt a reso- 
lution favoring the establishment of the 
chair of journalism in that institution. 

The above brief account of the life of 
this highly serviceable and far-seeing 
citizen necessarily gives but a meager 
record of his services to the people of his 
county and state. His newspaper work 
has been a potential factor in helping to 



build up the territory in which the paper 
circulates, and has always been consid- 
ered by him a direct and jjositive means 
of reaching the people for the purpose 
of benefiting thein in every way. He is 
a gentleman of strong convictions and 
fearless courage in declaring them. In 
all his efforts for the advance and im- 
provement of his section of the country 
he has built for the future, and in the 
sweep of his vision no avenue to pro- 
moting the interests of the public, men- 
tal, moral, municipal, county or state, 
has been overlooked or given slight at- 
tention. His record of service to the 
people of Shelby county is a long one, 
and there is nothing in ii all that is not 
creditable to him and worthy of the 
most elevated and productive citizen- 
ship. And although he is approaching 
the age of four score years, his vigor 
is still unabated, and all his faculties are 
still in full harness and energetic work. 
Missouri has no better citizen and none 
who has done more for her welfare ac- 
cording to his opportunities. 

JOHN D. TOLLE. 

Mr. Tolle has been a resident of Mis- 
souri from the time of his nativity to the 
present, is a member of one of the ster- 
ling pioneer families of this common- 
wealth, and he is now numbered among 
the representative farmers and stock- 
growers of Shelby county, where he has 
maintained his home for sixty years and 
where he has gained a large measure of 
success, the while he has held a secure 
place in the confidence and regard of his 
fellow men. He was loyal to the cause 
of the Confederacy during the Civil war 
and was one of its valiant soldiers. 



373 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Mr. Tolle was born in Marion county, 
Missouri, on March 17, 1842, and is a 
son of Parmenas W. and Susan Jane 
(Davis) Tolle, both natives of the state 
of Virginia, where the respective fam- 
ilies were founded in an early day. Par- 
menas W. Tolle was bom in the year 
1812, and in the pioneer days he came to 
Missouri and settled in Marion county, 
where he turned his attention to agri- 
cultural pursuits and where he continued 
to reside until 1849, in which memorable 
year he joined the exodus of gold seek- 
ers making their way across the plains 
to California, and he died of cholera 
while en route to the new Eldorado, his 
remains being interred on the wild 
plains of the west. His wife survived 
him by a number of years, passing the 
closing years of her life in ]\rarion 
county, this state. She was a devout 
member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, South, and of the same denom- 
ination her husband also was a member 
prior to its division from the Methodist 
church in the north, at the time of the 
Civil war. In politics Mr. Tolle was an 
old-line Wliig, and he was known as a 
man of superior mentality and sterling- 
integrity of character. Of the eight chil- 
dren four are now living, and concern- 
ing them the following brief record is 
entered: Lucy Jane is the wife of "Wil 
liam P. Johnson, of Marion county; 
Paulina L. is immarried and resides in 
Philadelphia, Missouri ; John D. is the 
immediate subject of this review, and 
Frances P. is the wife of John Smith, 
of St. Joseph, Missouri. 

John D. Tolle ])assed his boyhood and 
youth on the homo farm and was af- 
forded the advantages of the somewhat 



primitive pioneer schools of Marion 
county, where he was reared to manhood 
and where he continued to be identified 
with farming until there came the call 
of higher duty and he tendered his serv- 
ices in defense of the institutions under 
whose influence he had been reared. In 
June, 1862, he enlisted in the command 
of Gen. Joseph Porter, with which he 
participated in the engagements at 
Moore's Mill, Clapp Ford, and Cherry- 
ville, besides a large number of skir- 
mishes. He was wounded in the conflict at 
Moore's Mill and was taken off the field 
by Union soldiers, being cared for and 
receiving medical treatment at a farm 
house, and his injury was of such order 
that he was incapacitated for further 
service, so that he was mustered out and 
received his honorable discharge in 
1862. 

After the war Mr. Tolle continued to 
reside in Marion county until 1869, when 
he removed to Shelby county and took 
up his abode in Black Creek township, 
where he is now the owner of a well im- 
proved and valuable farm of 240 acres, 
the same being devoted to diversified 
agriculture and to the raising of excel- 
lent grades of live stock. Mr. Tolle has 
shown much energj^ and discrimination 
in the handling of his business affairs 
and the o])eration of his farm, and 
through his well ordered efforts he has 
attained to a position as one of the sub- 
stantial farmers and representative citi- 
zens of the county. He is held in high 
esteem in the community tJiat has so long- 
represented his home, is a staunch ad- 
herent of the Democratic i^arty, is af- 
filiated with the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows, and both he and his wife 





.^^ 



DAVID MORGAN 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



373 



hold meniber!>liii) in the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, South. 

In the year 1870 was solemnized the 
marriage of Mr. Tolle to Miss Martha A. 
Wheelington, who was born in Mary- 
land, and who was a child at the time of 
her parents' removal to Missouri. Mr. 
and Mrs. Tolle have four children, Susan 
E., who is the wife of Gideon McDonald, 
of Shelby county; Daisy I., who is the 
wife of Henry Wear, of this county; 
John P., a mail clerk, resides in St. 
Louis; Charles Wainwright is married 
to Grace D. Triggle, of Clinton county, 
Missouri, and resides on his father's 
farm. Mr. Tolle has five grandchildren. 

DAVID MORGAN. 

Of the seventy-three years of life 
vouchsafed to the late David Morgan, 
one of the most successful manufactur- 
ers and business men of Shelbiua, and 
one of its leading and most representa- 
tive citizens, fifty-five were passed in the 
United States and forty-six in Shelby 
coimty, Missouri. He was born in Wales 
on August 9, 1830, and became a resi- 
dent of this country in 1848. The por- 
tion of his native land in which he lived 
was filled with highly-tinted stories of 
America as a land of great promise and 
almost boundless opportunity for indus- 
try, and these stories filled his youthful 
mind with an ardent desire to come to 
and live in a country of such openings 
and possibilities, and when he reached 
the age of eighteen years he could no 
longer resist the tug on his heart strings 
Columbia was making. 

He, therefore, at that age determined 
to brave the heaving ocean, on which 



steam had not yet depoetized commerce 
and travel, and journey forth in an ef- 
fort to work out for himself a better ca- 
reer than seemed possible to him in his 
own country. He left the scenes and as- 
sociations of his boyhood, and without 
the companionship and encouragement 
of any other member of his family, em- 
barked himself and his hopes in a sailing 
vessel bound for the city of New York. 
His voyage, although prolonged, was un- 
eventful, and all the discomforts it 
brought him were cheerfully borne in the 
faith he cherished that he was making 
his way to prospei-ity and consequence 
among men. They were afterward 
amply atoned for by the success he 
achieved, the estate he accumulated and 
the influence and high esteem to which 
he attained. 

On his arrival in this country Mr. Mor- 
gan took up his residence in Cortland 
county. New York. There he learned 
the trade of a wagon maker and worked 
at it until 1857. In that year the west- 
ern fever that had been burning in his 
brain for some time reached a climax, 
and he came to Missouri, locating in 
Shelby county. When he arrived in 
Shelbina he at once started a wagon fac- 
tory in the town, and this he conducted 
successfully and with a high and wide- 
spread reputation for the excellence of 
his output until his death on April 30, 
1903. Some years later he also engaged 
in merchandising in imiilements and 
road vehicles, having his sons associated 
with him in the enterprise, which was 
carried on under the firm name of D. 
Morgan & Sons. This business was prof- 
itable, like the other, and ]\Ir. Morgan 
was highly esteemed. His popularity 



374 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



extended all over this and the adjoining 
counties, and he was extensively and 
favorably known in other parts of the 
state. 

On January 12, 1860, Mr. Morgan was 
united in marriage with Miss Mary E. 
"Williams, the marriage being solemnized 
in Monroe county, of which the bride was 
a resident at the time. They became the 
parents of four children, all of whom 
are living and reside in Shelbina. They 
are : William W., James H., David, Jr., 
and John R. Their mother is still living 
and also has her home in Shelbina. 
Many of her forty-three years of wedded 
life were years of toil and endurance. 
But like her husband, she was at all tunes 
sustained and buoyed up by the hope of 
better conditions, and was winning her 
way toward them by faithful attention 
to every daily duty, both with reference 
to her family and the commimity in 
which she lived. Her record is well 
known to the people around her, and 
there is not one who does not esteem her 
highly. 

In political faith Mr. Morgan was an 
ardent Democrat of the old school. And 
while he was ever loyal to his party and 
faithful in its services, he never sought 
or desired a political office for himself 
either by election or ai^pointment. His 
principal concern in public atfairs cen- 
tered in the welfare of his city, township 
and county, the progress and elevation 
of their people and the full and whole- 
some development of every industrial, 
mental and moral agency at work in their 
midst. And to the practical and useful 
realization of his desires in these re- 
spects he gave himself with ardor and 
an energy that accomplished good results 



in themselves and more in the forces in 
other persons which they awakened and 
set in motion. In fraternal life he was 
connected with and devoted to the Ma- 
sonic order, socially he moved in the 
iirst rank in the community, and in busi- 
ness circles he was regarded as a leader, 
a judicious guide and a strong source of 
inspiration. 

The men of the present day in Shelby 
county are doing their part to keep up 
and quicken the progress and sane and 
safe development of the region, and are 
doing many things which their fore- 
fathers could not do. But the latter 
wrought well with the means and the 
knowledge they had, and nothing can 
take away from them the credit of hav- 
ing laid broad and deep the foundations 
of the county's prosperity and civil in- 
stitutions, and made them altogether 
worthy of the stately superstructure 
which has been reared upon them. Among 
the settlers in the coimty in the primitive 
stage of its history none is entitled to 
higher credit or was more worthy of 
esteem than David Morgan, the interest- 
ing subject of this brief memoir. 

WALTER C. BOWER. 

In the sketch of the career of John 
C. Bower, appearing on other pages of 
this work, is given data concerning the 
family genealogy of which the subject 
of this review is an honored representa- 
tive, and by reason of the fact that 
ready reference may be made to the 
article mentioned it is not deemed requi- 
site to rei)eat the data in the present 
sketch. Mr. Bower is one of the repre- 
sentative business men and highlv es- 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



oiO 



teemed citizens of tlie couuty that has 
been his home from his childhood days, 
and is now engaged in the retail hard- 
ware trade in the thriving village of 
Bethel, where he conti'ols a large and 
substantial business. 

AValter C. Bower was born in Beaver 
county, Pennsylvania, on September 21, 
18il, and he was about five years of age 
at the time of the family removal to 
Shelby county, Missouri, his father, the 
late John L. Bower, having been one of 
the early members of the staunch Ger- 
man colony which had as its center the 
village of Bethel. In the schools of this 
village Walter C. Bower secured his early 
education, and after completing his stud- 
ies he worked with his father at the cab- 
inet maker's trade until 1869, when he 
became associated with his brother, John 
C, in the purchase of the furniture busi- 
ness conducted by their father. After a 
short interval he bought bis brother's 
interest in the enterprise and lie con- 
tinued to be successfully engaged in the 
manufacturing and sale of furniture and 
the conducting of a general repair shop 
in this line until 1893, when he sold the 
business and engaged in the hardware 
trade, in which he has since continued 
with success, having a commodious and 
well equipped establishment, in which 
are handled a full assortment of heavy 
and shelf hardware, stoves, ranges, 
paints, oils, builders' supplies, etc. Mr. 
Bower has been a thorough and enter- 
prising business man and has gained a 
large measure of success through his 
honorable and well directed efforts, so 
ordering his course as to maintain a sure 
hold upon the confidence and esteem of 
the community that has represented his 



home from his childhood days. He is a 
stockholder in the Bank of Bethel and 
also in the Farmers' Bank of this village. 
He is the owner of valuable real estate in 
the village and also has well improved 
farm land in the county. 

Though never ambitious for public of- 
fice of any description, Mr. Bower is 
aligned as a loyal supporter of the cause 
of the Republican party, he is affiliated 
with the Masonic fraternity and both he 
and his wife hold membership in the Ger- 
man Methodist Episcopal church in their 
home town. 

In 1868 Mr. Bower was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Catherine Carroll, of 
Shelby county, and their only child died 
in infancy. Mrs. Bower died in 1870, 
and on December 8, 1876, Mr. Bower 
was united in marriage to Miss Cath- 
erine Fox, who was born in Germany, 
whence she came with her parents to 
America, the family home being finally 
established in Shelby county. Of the 
eight children of this union, seven are 
living, namely: Anna, who is the wife 
of Rev. William R. Velte, a clergjnnan 
of the Methodist Episcopal church and 
now a resident of Denver, Colorado ; Ida, 
who is the wife of Frederick Morris, of 
Green City, Missouri ; Walter G., who is 
engaged in business m Bethel ; and Nora, 
Adam, Clarence and Monroe, who re- 
main at the parental home. 

WILLIAM T. ZIEGLER. 

Mr. Ziegler is one of the well known 
and popular citizens of his native vil- 
lage of Bethel, where he conducts a 
prosperous business as a blacksmith and 
where he is a representative of one of 



376 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



the sterling pioneer families of the 
county. He was born in Bethel, Septem- 
ber 9, 1856, and is a son of George and 
Sophia (Steinbach) Ziegler, both of 
whom were natives of Germany. The 
father was born in the year 1810 and 
was a boy at the time of the family im- 
migration to America, having been 
reared and educated in one of the east- 
ern states and having come to Missouri 
in 1844 and numbered himself among 
the sturdy German founders of the col- 
ony of Bethel, Shelby county, where he 
became a citizen of influence and one who 
commanded the unreserved esteem of 
the community. Here he followed the 
blacksmitli trade for nearly half a cen- 
tury, and here his death occurred in the 
year 1884. His marriage to Sophia 
Steinbach occurred prior to the removal 
to Shelby county and her death occurred 
in 1892. Of their thirteen children, ten 
are living, and concerning them the fol- 
lowing brief record is consistently en- 
tered for perpetuation in this volume : 
Catherine is the wife of Michael Durr- 
stein, of Quincy, Illinois; George is a 
resident of the state of Oregon; Henry 
resides in Bethel ; Sophia is the wife of 
Henry L. Hoffman, and they reside in 
the state of California; "Wilhelmina is 
the wife of Herman Erich, a farmer of 
Shelby coimty ; JMary is the wife of Will- 
iam Steinbach, of Bethel ; Matilda is the 
wife of Thomas Shadel, of Edina, Mis- 
souri ; Julia is unmarried and resides 
in California and is a twin of William 
T., subject of this sketch ; and Christina 
is the wife of John L. Smith, of La- 
Grange, Missouri. The father was a 
staunch adherent of the Republican 
party and took an intelligent interest in 



the questions and issues of the day, and 
both he and his wife held membership 
in the Gennan Lutheran church. 

AVilliam T. Ziegler is indebted to the 
schools of Bethel for his early educa- 
tional discipline, and after leaving the 
same he was engaged in farm work for 
three years, after which he followed the 
trade of tinsmith for two years. He 
then turned his attention to the stui'dy 
trade of blacksmithing, and he has fol- 
lowed the same consecutively and suc- 
cessfully during the long intervening 
years, being known as a skilled artisan 
and having a large and rei)resentative 
patronage. He is the owner of a nice 
home and other property in his native 
town, and he gives his support to all 
measures and enterprises that tend to 
further the progress and prosperity of 
the village and county. He and his wife 
are zealous in the work of the Methodist 
Episcopal church, of which they are de- 
voted members; he is affiliated with the 
Bethel lodge of Free & Accepted Ma- 
sons, and i. 0. 0. F., No. 603, Hebron 
Lodge; and in politics, though never an 
aspirant for public office, he gives a 
staunch support to the cause for which 
the Rejiublican party stands sponsor. 

On December 2, 1878, was solemnized 
the marriage of Mr. Ziegler to Miss 
Emma Pflum, of La Grange, this state. 
She was born and reared in Missouri 
and is a daughter of the late S. Pflimi, 
who was a sterling citizen and success- 
ful business man of Clarion county. Mr. 
and Mrs. Ziegler became the parents of 
seven children, of whom four are living, 
namely: Carl P., who is engaged in busi- 
ness at Laclede, this state; Bertha, who 
is tlie wife of Harry C. Bair, of Bethel, 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



•377 



individually mentioned on other pages 
of this work; and "William H. and Leslie 
E., who remain at the parental home. 

JOHN G. BAUER. 

Among the sterling and honored citi- 
zens contributed to Shelby county by the 
great empire of Germany is John G. 
Bauer, who is a member of one of the 
honored pioneer families of the county 
and who has here gained a generous 
measure of success through his own well 
directed efforts. He is one of the rep- 
resentative business men and intluential 
citizens of Bethel, where he has main- 
tained his home for more than sixty 
years and where his sterling attributes 
of character have retained to him im- 
pregnable popular confidence and es- 
teem. 

Mr. Bauer was born in the kingdom 
of Bavaria, Germany, December 1, 1835, 
and is a son of John G. and Nat 
Bauer, who immigrated to America in 
18:59, when he was a child of four j'ears. 
The little family disembarked in the 
city of New Orleans, from which point 
they proceeded by packet boat on the 
Mississii^pi river to Muscatine, Iowa, 
in which vicinity the father purchased 
a tract of land and engaged in farm- 
ing. He was one of the pioneers of 
that section of the Hawkeye state, 
M'here he continued his residence until 
1845, when he came with his family to 
Missouri and numbered himself as one 
of the sturdy German colonists of Bethel, 
Shelby county. Here he engaged in ag- 
ricultural pursuits, but he was not long 
]iermitted to continue his endeavors, as 
his death occurred in 1846, less than a 



year after his settlement here. His wife 
preceded him by a number of years, her 
death occurring in 1836. He was a de- 
vout member of the Christian church. 
Of their five children, two are now liv- 
ing, the subject of this review lieing the 
younger and his sister, Christina, being 
the wife of Moses Miller, of Bethel. 

John G. Bauer, whose name initiates 
this article, gained his rudimentary edu- 
cation in the common schools of Iowa 
and continued his studies in the Bethel 
schools, having been about ten years of 
age at the time of the family removal 
to Missouri and having been reared to 
manhood in the staunch old Bethel col- 
ony. After leaving school he served an 
apprenticeship to the shoemaker's trade, 
to which he devoted his attention for 
several years, after which he engaged 
in the jewelry business, in which he has 
since continued, being now one of the 
pioneer merchants of Bethel, where he 
has directed his efforts along normal 
and straightforward lines of enterprise 
and where he has gained a large and 
well merited success. After the close of 
the Civil war he took a course in phar- 
macy, i;nder the preceptorship of Pro- 
fessor Fink, of Bethel, and prior to the 
disbanding of the original colony he 
conducted a drug store for a number of 
years, in connection with his jewelry 
business, and still continues it. 

In 1882 Mr. Bauer became associated 
with three other substantial citizens in 
purchasing the Bethel grist mill in 
Bethel, after the division of the colony, 
and in 1902 he purchased the interests 
of the other stockholders, since which 
time he has continued to ojierate the mill 
in an individual way. In addition to 



378 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



this valuable property he is the owner 
of other improved realty in his home 
town and also has about 225 acres of 
fine farming land in this section of the 
county. The major portion of this land 
is located in Bethel township, and the 
same is devoted to general farming and 
to the raising of live stock. 

As a citizen Mr. Bauer has at all times 
stood exponent of the utmost loyalty and 
public spirit, and he has contributed a 
generous quota to the civic and material 
advancement and prosperity of his home 
town and county. In politics he accords 
an unwavering allegiance to the Repub- 
lican party, taking a lively interest in 
local atfairs of a public nature, and both 
he and his wife hold membership in the 
Christian church. Mr. Bauer has not 
narrowed his life within the coulhies of 
mere material success, but has shown 
the utmost kindliness and good will in 
his intercourse with his fellow men, 
doing all in his power to alleviate dis- 
tress and suffering and showing a high 
appreciation of his stewardship. Thus 
it is but a natural result that he holds 
the unqualified esteem of the community 
and is admired for his unostentatious 
but generous elements of character. 

On October 30, 1864, was recorded the 
marriage of Mr. Bauer to Miss Louise 
Stark, who was born in Wiirtemburg, 
Germany, October 11, 1846, and who was 
a child at tlie time of the family immi- 
gration to America. Iler parents passed 
the closing years of their lives in Shelby 
county, where her father, Joshua Stark, 
was a successful stone mason. Mr. and 
Mrs. Bauer liecame the ])arents of six 
children, of whom four ar-e now living, 
namely: Julius IT., Christine E., Lulu 



Irene, and Catherine, all of whom re- 
main at the parental home except the 
one son, who is engaged in the fanning 
and milling business in Bethel, being as- 
sociated with his father. He married i 
Miss Rosa Pepper and they have one 
child, deceased. Catherine is now Mrs. 
J. D. Taylor, of Bethel. 

JAMES W. TURNER. 

A native of Shelby county, Mr. Turner 
is numbered among its representative 
farmers and stock-growers, being the 
owner of a well improved farm of eighty 
acres, in section 16, Black Creek town- 
ship, and having also the supervision of 
the farm owned by his widowed mother. 
Of the family history, adequate details 
may be foimd in the sketcli of the career 
of his brother, William R. Turner, on 
other pages of this publication. 

James W. Turner was born on the old 
liomestead fai'm of his father, in Black 
Creek township, this county, August 7, 
1862, and is a son of the late William 
Ilolman Turner, one of the honored and 
influential citizens of this section of the 
county. ]\Ir. Turner was afforded the 
advantages of the public schools of his 
native township and as a boy and youth 
he contributed his quota to the work of 
the home farm, waxing strong in mind 
and body and gaining a thorough and 
vahialile ex])erience in connection with 
all dei)artmeiits of farm work. Ho has 
never wished or found it expedient to 
sever his allegiance to the great basic 
art of agriculture, and his home farm, 
(■omi)rising eiglity acres of most arable 
land, all under cultivation, is one of the 
model i)laces of Black Creek township. 




Tfr^'He^^- 



S. G. PARSONS 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



379 



In the same towusliip is located the fine 
farm of his mother, the same comprising 
1^00 acres, aud this is operated under his 
direct supervision aud management, be- 
ing devoted to diversified agriculture 
and the raising of excellent grades of 
live stock. Mr. Turner was the first man 
to bring the famous Hampshire sheep 
into the state of Missouri, which is now 
so popular iu this section of the country, 
and is essentially enterprising aud pro- 
gressive in his methods, bringing to bear 
indefatigable energy and marked dis- 
crimination in the forwarding of his 
farming operations, so that he is able to 
reap generous rewards from the efforts 
put forth. He is one of the substantial 
farmers and representative citizens of 
his township and is well upholding the 
prestige of the honored family name 
which he bears, being held iu high re- 
gard by all who know him. Though 
never ambitious for public office he ac- 
cords a loyal and zealous support to the 
cause of the Democratic party, and both 
he and his wife hold membershii^ in the 
Methodist Episcopal church. South. 

In August, 1889, Mr. Turner was 
imited in marriage to Miss Euth A. Gar- 
risou, who was born and reared in Shelby 
county and who died in 1887, being sur- 
vived by one child, Gaynell, who remains 
at the paternal home. On March 1, 1899, 
was solemnized the marriage of Mr. 
Turner to Miss Nora Shudy, of Shelby- 
ville, who likewise was born and reared 
in this county and who is a daughter of 
Johanna Shudy, a representative citizen 
of Shelbyville. Mr. and i\Irs. Turner 
have two children — James Francis and 
Victor Ellis. Mrs. Turner is an active 
member of the Christian church, giving 



her most able support to the religious 
sect she is most interested in. 



S. G. PAESONS. 

From her sister county of Monroe on 
her southern border, Shelby county has 
received from time to time valued con- 
tributions in elevated manhood, fine busi- 
ness capacity and sterling citizenship in 
every sense of the word. Among them 
all none has stood higher, been more suc- 
cessful or attained to more general con- 
fidence and esteem than S. G. Parsons, 
the first pioneer of Shelbina and long 
one of the leading merchants of that pro- 
gressive aud enterprising community. 
He was born at Paris, Monroe county, 
on August 29, 1843, a son of John N. and 
Jane M. (Gilbert) Parsons, the former 
a native of Frederick county, Maryland, 
and the latter of Virginia. 

The father was born on July 24, 1804, 
and although a native of Maryland, was 
reared and educated in Virginia, where 
his grandfather lived. He came to Mis- 
souri iu 1829 and located in St. Louis, 
where he worked at his trade as a car- 
Ijenter and found a great demand for his 
services. He helped to build the court- 
house of that day and many other im- 
posing structures in that city. In 1832 
he moved to Pike county in this state and 
there was engaged in the dry goods trade 
for a period of two years. In 1834 he 
changed his residence to Monroe county, 
and during the next four years sold dry 
goods at Middlegrove. At the end of 
the period last mentioned he took up his 
residence at Pai-is, and there he engaged 
in merchandising in dry goods until 1854, 
when he retired from business. He took 



380 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



a leading part in the local affairs of 
every community in which he dwelt and 
was always at the front in all undertak- 
ings for the development and improve- 
ment of the section. At Paris he helped 
to found the first hank in the county, and 
also represented the county in the legis- 
lature, being elected as a member in 1858. 

It was in Paris also that the golden 
web of sentiment enmeshed him in its 
gleaming net. In that city in November, 
18-t2, he was united in mai-riage with 
Mrs. Jane M. Gilbert, who was born in 
Virginia. They had six children, four 
of whom are living: S. G. Parsons, of 
Shelbina, the immediate subject of these 
paragraphs ; Sallie P., the widow of Tay- 
lor Thompson, who is now living in Oak- 
land, California; Mary C, the wife of 
J. A. Dawson, of Chillicothe, Missouri ; 
and Annie E., the wife of E. E. Bodine, 
of Memphis, Tennessee. In politics the 
father was a Democrat and in fraternal 
life a member of the ^Masonic order. He 
was very successful in business and left 
a large estate at his death, which occurred 
on April 11, 1885, in Shelbina. 

S. G. Parsons was reared in Paris and 
educated in the private schools of his 
boyhood in that city. At the age of twen- 
ty he located at Shelbina and started a 
dry goods store in-company with ^Ir. Mil- 
ler, the firm name being Miller & Par- 
sons. The firm lasted eighteen months. 
Then Mr. Parsons turned his attention 
to the grocery trade, with which he has 
ever since been connected, except during 
a period of five years, when he gave his 
time and energies exclusively to farming 
and raising live stock. He is still en- 
gaged ill tliis interesting pursuit, in addi- 
tion to Iiis merchandising, and finds in it 



an agreeable relief from the annoyances 
and vexations of mercantile life. 

His first marriage occurred on May 5, 
1865, and was with Miss Mary T. Hanger, 
a native of Monroe county. They had 
eight children, seven of whom ai'e living. 
Jennie T. and Lelia; Kitty Belle, the 
wife of Lee Francis, of Shelbina; New- 
ton H., who died in 1910; John R.. of 
Kansas City, Missouri; Annie E. ; Mary, 
the wife of Frank Henninger, of Shel- 
bina; and Nellie, the wife of Charles 
Murphy, who is living in the state of 
Oregon. He was married a second time 
in 1904 to Mrs. P. A. Sparks, of Shel- 
bina. 

From the dawn of his manhood Mr. 
Parsons has been a firm and faithful 
Democrat in political faith and practice. 
And although he has never sought or de- 
sired official station for himself, he has 
always taken a zealous jiart in the cam- 
paign of his party and given earnest and 
effective su]iport to its candidates. At 
the same time he is not a hide-bound or 
narrow partisan, and never allows his 
ardent interest in the welfare of his com- 
munity to be ovei'-borne by political or 
personal considerations. Living in an 
age of progress and a section of the 
country that is making rapid and 
substantial advances, he is not only in 
the procession of development and im- 
provement but one of its trusted and in- 
fluential leaders. Having helped to found 
the municipality of Shelbina, he has been 
constant and effective in his efforts to 
build it up to its highest and best devel- 
opment according to the demands of the 
time, and has left his impress on every 
mental, moral and mercantile agency at 
work among its ]ieo]ile. He has found 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



381 



nothing in which the welfare of the com- 
munity was involved too small for his at- 
tention and nothing too great for his dar- 
ing. Shelby county has no better, wiser 
or more progressive citizen, and none 
who is more generally recog-nized as a 
truly representative man of lofty ideals, 
right purposes and commanding re- 
sources. And on all sides he is esteemed 
in a just estimate of his worth and use- 
fulness. 

EDWARD C. SHAIN. 

A prominent and influential factor in 
the financial and business affairs of 
Shelby county is Edward C. Shain, who 
was president of the Shelby County Sav- 
ings Bank, at Clarence, of which institu- 
tion he was the founder, and of which he 
was the executive head from the time of 
its incorporation until he retired in Jan- 
uary, 1911. He holds an untarnished 
reputation as an able and progressive 
business man and upright and loyal 
citizen, and such is his high standing in 
the community that be is eminently en- 
titled to representation in this publica- 
tion, on other pages of which may also 
be found a brief record concerning the 
stanch banking institution of which he 
was president. 

Mr. Shain is a scion of a family that 
was founded in the Old Dominion state 
of Virginia in the colonial epoch of our 
national history, and in that state was 
born his paternal grandfather, John 
Sliain, who eventually became a pioneer 
in Kentucky, and who continued to re- 
side in that state until 1830, when he 
I'emoved to Sangamon county, Illinois, 
and died there. William Shain, father 



of him whose name initiates this sketch, 
was born in Kentucky in November, 
1803, and there was reared to manhood, 
receiving such educational advantages 
as were afforded in the locality and pe- 
riod. He in turn gained a full quota of 
experience as a pioneer, having come 
to Missouri in the year 1824, and hav- 
ing first settled in Randolph county, 
where he developed a farm, and whei'e 
he continued to be identified with agri- 
cultural pursuits and stock-growing for 
a decade, at the expiration of which, in 
183-1:, he removed to Macon county, this 
state, where he became the owner of a 
good faiin, and where he passed the resi- 
due of his life. He retired from active 
labors in 1870 and continued to reside 
on his old homestead until his death, 
which occurred in March, 1882. He had 
the distinction of being the first incum- 
bent of the office of deputy sheriff and 
collector of Macon, Schuyler and Adair 
counties, all of which were then included 
in Macon county, and of this chial office 
he continued in tenure for a period of 
four years. He was a staunch Democrat 
in his political proclivities, and both he 
and his wife were zealous and consistent 
members of the Baptist church. Mrs. 
Shain likewise was a native of Ken- 
tucky, and her maiden name was Cath- 
erine Smoot. She was summoned to the 
life eternal in 1877, and her memory is 
revered by all who came within the 
sphere of her gentle and gracious influ- 
ence. Of the twelve children, seven are 
living, and concerning them the follow- 
ing brief record is entered for consistent 
perpetuation in this article: Bettie Jane 
is the widow of John Griffin, of Tishi- 
mingo, Oklahoma; Edward C. is the im- 



382 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



mediate siil)ject of this review; Thomas 
J. and William T. are residents of At- 
lanta, this state; Armstead A. resides at 
Kirksville, ^Missouri; Mary Ann is the 
wife of Dade Sears, of Macon county; 
and Charles M. is a resident of the state 
of Oklahoma. 

Edward C. Shain was born on the old 
homestead farm in Independence town- 
ship Macon county, Missouri, December 
23, 1835, and he was reared to maturity 
in his native county, where he duly availed 
himself of the advantages of the com- 
mon schools of the pioneer days, includ- 
ing a well conducted school in the village 
of Kirksville. After leaving school he 
continued to devote his time and atten- 
tion to farming for a period of four 
years, at the expiration of which, in 
18()3, he entei'ed into partnership with 
"William B. Sears and engaged in the 
general merchandise ])usiness at Callao, 
Macon county. In September, 1864, he 
subordinated his private interests to 
tender his aid in defense of the Union, 
becoming first lieutenant in Company K, 
Forty-second Missouri Volunteer Infan- 
try, under command of Colonel Forbes 
and Gen. Andrew J. Smith. He was in 
active service with his regiment, princi- 
pally in Tennessee and Alabama, until 
victory crowned the Union arms, and 
after the final surrender he continued 
in service imtil the spring of 1866, when 
he was mustered out and received his 
honorable discharge. 

After the close of his career as a leal 
and loyal soldier of the republic, ^Ir. 
Shain returned to Missouri and resumed 
his active connection with the mercantile 
business at Caliao, where he continued 
operations in this line until 1870, when 



he was elected sheriff and collector of 
^lacon county. In this dual office he 
served one term, within which provision 
was made for the segregation of the 
offices, and he was re-elected sherifT 
under the new dispensation, continuing 
incumbent of the shrievalty until 1874, 
and giving a most able and acceptable 
administration. In the meanwhile he 
had become the owner of a good farm in 
his native county, and after his retire- 
ment from office he continued to reside 
on and supervise the work of this home- 
stead until 1883, when he removed to 
Kirksville, in order to afford his chil- 
dren better educational advantages. He 
there continued his residence until 1890, 
and in the meanwhile showed his indi- 
vidual ambition and scholastic apprecia- 
tion by devoting much attention to the 
study of both ancient and modern his- 
tory. He finally became associated with 
his only son in the lumber business, in 
which connection, in 1892, they floated 
lumber in rafts down the Mississippi 
river to Warsaw, Illinois, where they 
manufactured the same into siding, pick- 
ets, moldings and general building ma- 
terial, continuing operations at that 
place imtil 1894, when Mr. Shain re- 
turned to Missouri and established his 
residence in the village of Clarence, 
Shelby county. Here he purchased a 
building and effected the organization of 
the Shelby County Savings Bank, which 
opened its business in the building men- 
tioned, and of which he was president 
from tlie beginning, as already stated in 
this context. Full data in regard to the 
upbuilding of this jiopular financial in- 
stitution will l)e found in the individual 
sketch devoted to the same on other 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



383 



pages of this volume. In addition to 
giving much of his time to the direction 
and supervision of the affairs of the 
bank, ]\lr. Shain also did an extensive 
individual business in the extending of 
tinancial loans upon approved real-estate 
securities, and he is known as one of the 
able, honorable and progressive business 
men and substantial capitalists of this 
section of the state. 

Mr. Shain is loyal and liberal as a citi- 
zen and his entire life has been charac- 
terized by that integrity of purpose that 
ever begets popular confidence and es- 
teem. In a generic way he is a staunch 
sujjporter of the cause of the Demo- 
cratic party but in local affairs he gives 
his support to the man and measures 
meeting the approval of his judgment, 
irrespective of strict partisan lines. He 
is affiliated with the time-honored Ma- 
sonic fraternity and is a zealous and de- 
voted member of the Christian church, 
in which he has been an elder and teacher 
of a Bible class for twenty years. 

On August 19, 1859, was solemnized 
the marriage of Mr. Shain to Miss Emily 
Bristow, of Macon county, who died in 
Novemiier, 1866, and who is survived by 
one sou, Hopkins B. Shain, now a repre- 
sentative attorney of the city of Sedalia, 
Missouri. He was elected district judge 
of Sedalia county, Missouri, in 1910. His 
second marriage occurred in October, 
1866, his second wife being Nancy Bris- 
tow, a sister of his first wife. 

SHELBY COUNTY STATE BANK. 

This is one of tlie well managed and 
staunch financial institutions of the 
county, and its business is of the most 



substantial order, implying public ap- 
preciation of its stability and effective 
service. The bank is located in the city 
of Clarence, and dates its inception back 
to the year 1894, in August of which year 
it was organized and incorporated with 
a capital stock of $10,000. Six months 
later, to meet the demands of the rap- 
idly expanding business, the capital 
stock was increased to $15,000, and at 
the expiration of its first year of opera- 
tions the capital was augmented to $30,- 
000, at which figure it was maintained 
until 1904, when it was increased to $50,- 
000, which is the amount since repre- 
sented in its stock; and $25,000 perma- 
nent surplus. 

The personnel of the original board of 
directors was as here noted : Edward C. 
Shain, W. D. Crow, B. P. Eutledge, J. L. 
Sibley and H. B. Shain. Edward C. 
Shain was chosen president of the insti- 
tution and remained incumbent of this 
office until in January, 1911, when G. T. 
Gilman was chosen president; H. B. 
Shain was the first cashier, and B. P. 
Eutledge the first vice-president. In 
1895 A. W. Combs succeeded H. B. 
Shain as cashier, continuing incumbent 
of this executive position for seven years 
— up to the time of his death, in 1902, 
when Marson Dimmitt was chosen cash- 
ier, of which position he has since re- 
mained in tenure. B. P. Eutledge is 
vice-president, and J. 0. Callison, J. D. 
Fleming and H. E. Combs are assistant 
cashiers. The members of the board of 
directors are as follows: George T. Gil- 
man, N. A. Edwards, C. W. Belsher. 
B. P. Eutledge, J^frs. A. K. Combs, J. C. 
Eodcs and D. White. The deposits of 
tlie bank now aggregate nearly two hun- 



384 



TTISTOT^Y OF SHELBY COUNTY 



dred and eigbteen thousand dollars, and 
a surplus of $25,000 is maintained. On 
other pages of this publication will be 
found a brief review of the career of the 
president of this popular financial insti- 
tution. 

WILLIAM L. HAMRICK. 

A native son of Shelby count}-, who 
has here gained prestige and success as 
an able member of its bar, and who is 
now incumbent of the office of prosecut- 
ting attorney of the county and also that 
of city attorney of Clarence, is William 
L. Hanirick, whose professional stand- 
ing and personal iio])ularity find ample 
voucher in the official preferments which 
are his at the present time. 

'Sir. Hamrick was 1)orn on the old fam- 
ily homestead in Taylor township, this 
county, and the date of his nativity was 
November 27, 1860. His paternal grand- 
father, Rev. Jesse Hamrick, was born in 
Virginia, where the family was early 
founded, and was a clergjnnan of the 
Methodist church. He removed to Ken- 
tucky when a young man and there 
passed the residue of his life. William 
F. Hamrick, father of him whose name 
initiates this article, was born in Ken- 
tucky, January 10, 1816, and he was 
reared and educated in the old Bluegrass 
state, where he continued to reside until 
1854, when he removed to Missouri and 
took up his residence in Shelby county. 
He purchased a tract of land in Taylor 
township and dovelo))od one of the valu- 
able farms of the county. He continued 
to reside on th.e old homestead until his 
death, which occurred September 24, 
1873. He was a citizen of prominence 



and influence in his community, ever 
commanding the most unequivocal confi- 
dence and esteem, and he served for sev- 
eral years as justice of the peace, hav- 
ing been a staunch Democrat in his po- 
litical proclivities. His first wife, whose 
maiden name was Melvina Savage, 
was likewise a native of Kentucky, 
where their marriage was solemnized, 
and she became the mother of four 
children, of whom two are living : 
Belle, who is the widow of Valentine 
iMcCully, of Cherry Box, Missouri, and 
Miss ISIelvina Hamrick, who now re- 
sides in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. 
Mrs. Hamrick died within a short time 
after the removal to Missouri, and in 
February, 1858, Mr. Hamrick contracted 
a second marriage, being then united to 
Miss Martha Shelton. a daughter of Grif- 
fith D. and Lavina P. Shelton, who were 
pioneer settlers of Shelby county. Mrs. 
Hamrick was summoned to the life eter- 
nal in 1904, and of the nine children of 
the second marriage only two are now 
living: William Loren, who is the imme- 
diate subject of this review, and Mar- 
tha, who is the wife of Luther Kemji, of 
Leonard, Shelby county, this state. 

William Loren Hamrick passed his 
boyhood and early youth on the old 
homestead farm and was not denied the 
privilege of contributing his quota to its 
woi-k, the while he duly availed himself 
of the advantages of the district schools 
of the locality, after completing the cur- 
riculum of which he continued his studies 
for three years in the Missouri State 
Normal School at Kirksville. Upon leav- 
ing this institution he continued to be 
associated in the work and managenient 
of the home farm, and in the meanwhile 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



385 



devoted close attention to the reading of 
law, under effective preeeptorship. He 
was admitted to the bar, upon examina- 
tion in the Circuit court of his native 
county, April 11, 1903, pi'ior to which 
time he had been for fourteen years a 
successful and popular teacher in the 
district schools of the county. After his 
admission to the bar he continued his 
pedagogic labors for another year, and 
on February 14, 1904, he opened an office 
in the thriving little city of Clarence, 
where he has since been engaged in the 
])ractice of his profession, and wliere his 
success as a trial lawyer and well forti- 
tied counsellor has been on a paritj^ with 
his energy in and devotion to his chosen 
vocation. 

In politics Mr. Hamrick accords an un- 
swerving allegiance to the Democratic 
party, in whose faith he was reared, and 
he has rendered effective service in its 
cause. In April, 1904, he was appointed 
city attorney of Clarence, of which posi- 
tion he has since remained incumbent, 
and on November 3, 1908, he was elected 
to the office of prosecuting attorney of 
the county, receiving a gratifAnng ma- 
jority at the polls, and entering upon 
the duties of his office on January 1, 
1909, for a term of two years, and he was 
re-elected in the fall of 1910, with an in- 
creased majority. He has proved in his 
administration the wisdom of his choice 
for the office and has materially added 
to his professional laurels through his 
effective labors as i^ublic prosecutor. 
He is essentially a loyal and progressive 
citizen, and takes deep interest in all that 
tends to conserve the welfare of his na- 
tive county and state. He is affiliated 
with Clarence Lodge, No. 305, Free & 



Accepted Masons, and its adjunct organ- 
ization, the Order of the Eastern Star, 
and also holds membershi]) in the M. W. 
of A. Both he and his wife are mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
South. 

On July 26, 1906, was solemnized the 
marriage of Mr. Ilamrick to Miss Grace 
Kemper, daughter of William Kemper, 
a representative citizen of Clarence, this 
county, where she was l)orn and reared. 

WALTER M. PRITCHARD. 

The able and jjopular cashier of the 
Clarence Savings Bank is recognized as 
one of the representative business men 
of the younger generation in his native 
county, and his civic and business status 
in his native town of Clarence sets at 
naught all application of the scriptural 
aphorism that "a prophet is not with- 
out honor save in his own country." Of 
the institution in which he is an execu- 
tive officer, brief record is given on other 
pages of this work. 

Mr. Pritchard was born in the village 
of Clarence, Shelby county, Missouri, 
October 11, 1879, and is the elder of 
the two children of James W. and Mina 
(Merrin) Pritchard, whose marriage was 
solemnized in this county in 1876: the 
younger child. Alma, is now the wife 
of John Ward, of Brookfield, Missouri. 
The honored father died in 1892, and 
•the mother was summoned to tlie life 
eternal in 1895. She was born and 
reared in Shelby county and was a mem- 
ber of an honored pioneer family of this 
favored section of the state. James W. 
Pritchard was born in the state of Vir- 
ginia, and in 1876 he came to Missouri 



38G 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



and took up his residence in the village 
of Clarence, this county, where he con- 
tinued to maintain his home until his 
demise and where he became a substan- 
tial business man and honored and in- 
fluential citizen. He was here identified 
with farming and stock-growing, in con- 
nection with which he became the owner 
of a large and valuable landed estate in 
the county, and he also conducted for 
a number of years a successful business 
in the shipping of timber and the manu- 
facturing of lumber. In politics he was 
a staunch Rei)ublican, and at the time 
of the Civil war it was his to render 
valiant service as a soldier of the Union. 
He enlisted in Comjiany F, Seventeenth 
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and continued 
in active service during practically the 
entire period of the great internecine 
conflict between the states. He was 
wounded in the battle of Kenesaw Moun- 
tain, but was not long incapacitated, and 
he was with General Sherman's forces 
on the ever memorable march from At- 
lanta to the sea. He was ever interested 
in his old comrades in arms and signi- 
fied this by his membership in the Grand 
Army of the Republic. Both he and his 
wife were zealous members of the Chris- 
tian church. 

Walter M. Pritchard, the immediate 
subject of this review, is indebted to the 
public schools of Clarence for his early 
educational training, which included a 
course in the high school, and he later 
completed a thorough course in the Gem 
City Business College, at Quincy, Illi- 
nois, in which institution he was gradu- 
ated as a meml)er of the class of 1898. 
In 1900, when nineteen years of age, Mr. 
Pritchard became assistant cashier of 



the Citizens' Bank of Clarence, retain- 
ing this position for a period of five 
years, at the expiration of which he dis- 
posed of his stock in the bank and as- 
sisted in the organization of the Clar- 
ence Savings Bank, which was incorpo- 
rated in 1905, and of which he has been 
cashier from the beginning. His dis- 
crimination and effective executive ad- 
ministration have inured greatly to the 
success of this popular institution, in 
wiiich he is a large stockholder and 
wliicli is now one of the solid and im- 
portant banking houses of the county. 
He is the owner of a well improved farm 
of 270 acres, located in Clay townshij), 
about two miles east of Clarence, and 
to the operation of the same he gives a 
general supervision, devoting special at- 
tention to the raising of high-grade live 
stock. 

Though never imbued with office-seek- 
ing proclivities, Mr. Pritchard is ai'- 
rayed as a staimch supporter of the 
cause of the Democratic party and is 
essentially ])rogressive and loyal as a 
citizen. He and his wife hold member- 
shi]) in the Cliristian church, and he is 
affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, the 
Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent & 
Protective Order of Elks, the j\Iodern 
Woodmen of America. 

On August 3, 1898, was solemnized the 
marriage of ]\lr. Pritchard to Miss Ella 
Kemi)er, who likewise was l)orn and 
reared in Sliell)y county, being a daugh- 
ter of AVilliam Kemper, a representa- 
tive citizen and business man of Clar- 
ence. The three children of this mar- 
riage are Madge, Helen and Kemper. 
'Sir. and Airs. Pritchard are popular fig- 
ures in the social life of the community 




JUDGE NATHANIEL M. SHELTON 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



387 



and their attractive home is one in which 
a gracious hospitality is ever in evi- 
dence. 

THE CLARENCE SAVINGS BANK. 

In the stability, scope and manage- 
ment of its financial institutions Shelby 
county has a source of just gratulation, 
and among the prominent concerns ex- 
ercising important functions and forti- 
fied by all that is reliable in executive 
control and capitalistic reinforcement, is 
the Clarence Savings Bank, established 
L in the thriving little city of Clarence. 
The Clarence Savings Bank was or- 
ganized in January, 1905, and was duly 
I incorporated under the laws of the state, 
' with a capital stock of $20,000, which 
was increased to $40,00Q at the annual 
election of the stockholders in January, 
I 1907. The personnel of the original 
I board of directors was as here noted: 
I J. H. Merrin, Burrel Million, Dr. J. W. 
Megee, B. L. Glahn, H. C. AVilliams, M. 
L H. Lewis and W. M. Pritchard. The 
* executive officers of the institution have 
remained the same from the initiation 
of business until December, 1910, when 
.Tames O. Stribbling was elected presi- 
dent to succeed J. H. Merrin, who re- 
tired on account of his extreme age. Mr. 
Stribbling enjoys a wide acquaintance 
throughout the county and his connec- 
tion with the bank will add to the 
strength and popularity of that now 
popular banking house. The other offi- 
cers are : Burrel Million, vice-president 
(Mr. Million died in the summer of 
■ 1910 and J. B. Shale was elected in Jan- 
uary, 1911); and Walter M. Pritchard, 
cashier. There has been no change in 



the directorate save that in April, 1909, 
upon the death of Dr. Megee, J. B. Shale 
was chosen as his successor. The pres- 
ent board of directors is composed of 
the following gentlemen : J. 0. Stribbling, 
J. B. Shale, B. L. Glahn, H. C. Williams, 
W. M. Pritchard, W. L. Hamrick and M. 
JI. Lewis. The bank now controls a 
large and representative support and its 
business is constantly expanding in 
scope and importance. Sketches of the 
careers of its president and its cashier 
may be found on other pages of this 
volume. 

HON. NATHANIEL MEACON 
SHELTON. 

Eminent as a jurist, occupying an 
exalted place in the confidence and es- 
teem of the people as a citizen, and an 
ornament to any social circle of which 
he is a part, Hon. Nathaniel Meacon 
Shelton, of Macon, circuit judge of the 
Second judicial district of Missouri, is 
an honor to the state in which he lives,, 
the profession to which he belongs, and 
high-toned American manhood, of which 
he is so shining an example. 

The Judge was born near Troy, Lin- 
coln county, this state, on March 17, 
1851. His parents were Meacon and 
Anna (Berger) Shelton, natives of Pitt- 
sylvania county, Virginia, where the 
father was an extensive i)lanter and 
owner of large tracts of land and numer- 
ous slaves. They were married in 1828, 
in their native state, and when they de- 
termined to migrate to the llien far dis- 
tant and uncivilized region beyond the 
Mississippi from their ancestral home, 
tlu'v came to Missouri in IS.'i?, making 



388 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



the trip overland with teams and bring- 
ing with them a good herd of cattle and a 
number of their negroes. The father en- 
tered government land in what is now 
Lincoln county, which the family lived 
on, cultivated and improved until 1870, 
when the ]5arents sold their jiroperty 
and thereafter made their home with 
their daughters until death called them 
fi'om their earthly labors. The father 
died in 1873, aged 76 years, and the 
mother in 1887, aged 80 years. They 
were the parents of three sons and six 
daughters. Of these two sons and one 
daughter are living, and all are resi- 
dents of Missouri. The family, like un- 
counted others, paid its toll to the awful 
slaughter of the Civil war, one son dy- 
ing in the military service of the Con- 
federacy, being a surgeon in the South- 
ern army. 

The father was a "Wliig until the party 
of that name died through the sectional 
strife in politics which preceded the war, 
and after that became a Democrat. For 
more than twenty years he was the \n-e- 
siding judge of the Lincoln county court, 
and his name is revered by the people 
of all Missouri as that of a ca];)able and 
upright jurist and a citizen whose life 
was above reproach. He was twice mar- 
ried, his first wife, whose maiden name 
was Ann Evans, dying in her native 
state of Virginia. 

The Shelton family is of English ori- 
gin, the American progenitors having 
emigrated from Great Britain to this 
country early in the seventeenth cen- 
tury. Abraham Shelton, great-grand- 
father of the present Judge Shelton, was 
long a member of the Virginia House of 
Burgesses, in which he served with Pat- 



rick Henry and other distinguished men 
of his day who gave the political history 
of the world a new direction and wrote 
their names in illuminated letters on its 
heroic pages. He was active in the agita- 
tion leading up to the Revolution, and 
was widely and favorably known through- 
out his own and the other American 
colonies as a wise counselor, a pure 
patriot and a fearless defender of his 
faith. 

His son, Crisi^in Shelton, the judge's 
grandfather, was also an extensive 
planter in the Old Dominion, and died on 
his plantation there after many years of 
usefulness and elevated manhood. His 
widow came to Missouri and died some 
years later at the home of her son, the 
judge's father. In two of the great com- 
monwealths of this country, members of 
this family have lived and labored for 
the general welfare, dignifying and 
adorning the citizenship of the nation 
and giving examples worthy of imita- 
tion everywhere by their readiness to 
take their places in- every crisis and 
their fidelity to every duty, whether in 
private or in public life. 

Hon. Nathaniel M. Shelton grew to the 
age of eighteen on the paternal home- 
stead in Lincoln county. He obtained 
his scholastic training in private schools, 
Parker Seminary in Troj', this state, and 
at William Jewell College, located at 
Liberty, Missouri, which he attended two 
years. He then taught school one year, 
and at the end of his service as a teacher 
was ap]iointed deputy clerk and recorder 
of Montgomery county, Missouri. Dur- 
ing his two years of wise and faithful 
service in that capacity he studied law 
under the direction of Judge Elliott M. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



389 



Hughes. In 1874 he entered the law de- 
partment of the Missouri State Uni- 
versity. After passing one year of la- 
borious study in that institution, he was 
admitted to the bar in 1875 in Mont- 
gomery county before Judge Gilchrist 
Porter at Danville, Missouri. 

Judge Sheltou began the practice of 
his profession in the same year in Schuy- 
jH ler county, and continued to practice in 
" that county until his elevation to the 
bench in 1898. He has been re-elected 
judge at the end of his term ever since 
then with a steady growth in popularity 
and strength before the people, whose 
confidence he has won and retained by 
his course on the bench, his demeanor 

I as a man and his breadth of view and 
progressiveuess as a citizen. Prior to 
his election as judge he served as at- 
torney for the Wabash railroad for a 
number of years in Schuyler county, ren- 
dering the company good and faithful 
service without contravening the rights 
or interests of the people. In 1884 he 
was elected to the lower house of the 
state legislature, and was re-elected in 
& 1886. In that body he was chairman 
of the committees on education and juris- 
prudence, and rendered such excellent 
service and showed himself so well 
equipped for the administration of public 
affairs that in 1888 he was elected to the 
state senate. In the senate he served 
capably and with high credit to himself 
as chairman of the judiciary committee. 
In 1902 the judge moved to Macon 
county, where he has ever since resided. 
In politics he has been a life-long Demo- 
crat, and before his election to the bench 
was very active in council and on the 
hustings in the service of his party, hold- 



ing firmly to the belief that its political 
principles and theory of government are 
the correct ones, and that in their ascen- 
dency in state and nation rests the en- 
during welfare of the American people, 
collectively and individually. He has al- 
ways been one of the progressive men in 
the judicial district, looking with favor 
on every worthy enterprise for its im- 
provement and the strengthening of its 
mental, moral and material forces, and 
lending all the full measures of aid cir- 
cumstances allowed him to advance. 
Fraternally he is a Freemason of the 
third degree and a member of the order 
of Modern Woodmen of America; and 
socially he is a gentleman of the old 
school, preserving against all innova- 
tions the high character and courtly 
manners of our earlier and, perhaps, 
better days, not as assumptions or from 
force of habit, but because they are in- 
herent with him and as much parts of 
his nature as the organs of his body and 
the faculties of his mind. Professionally 
he is in the front rank of Missouri jur- 
ists, strictly upright, fair and just, 
learned in the law, wise in applying and 
interpreting it, and fearless in enforc- 
ing it. 

The marriage of Judge Shelton oc- 
curred on November 21, 1878, and united 
him with Miss Belle T. Garges, a native 
and life-long resident of this state. Of 
the four children born to them three are 
living: Mabel, the wife of Wilbur M. 
French, M. D., of Chicago, Illinois; and 
Charles W., who is preparing for admis- 
sion to the bar, and Anna E., both of 
whom are living at home. All the mem- 
bers of the family belong to the Christian 
church. 



390 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



JOHN C. EICKEY. 

Mr. Rickey is known as one of the 
progressive business men and loyal and 
public-spirited citizens of Shelby county, 
where he has maintained his home since 
1887. He is now incumbent of the office 
of postmaster in the thriving village of 
Clarence, where he is also identified 
with the cement-contracting business, in 
which connection a very successful en- 
terprise has been built up. He has 
gained a secure place in the confidence 
and esteem of the community and as one 
of its representative citizens is well en- 
titled to consideration in this publica- 
tion. 

John C. Eickey claims the fine old 
Buckeye state as the place of his nativ- 
ity, as he was l)orn at Athens, Athens 
county, Ohio, July 11, 186.3. He is a 
scion of one of the honored pioneer fam- 
ilies of that commonwealth, in which his 
grandfather, John Rickey, was born in 
Belmont county and moved to Athens 
county, having there passed his entire 
life. Henry B. Rickey, father of him 
whose name initiates this article, was 
boi-n in Athens county, Ohio, November 
16, 1844, and in his native state he was 
reared and educated. There he contin- 
ued to be activelj' identified with the 
great basic industry of agriculture until 
1885, when he sold his property in Ohio 
and removed to Eskridge, Kansas, where 
he remained about four months, at the 
expiration of which he located in Law- 
rence, that state, where he was engaged 
in the hotel business until 1887, when 
he came to Shelby county, ]\[issouri, 
where he passed the remainder of his 
life. Here he purchased a farm, in Clay 



township, where he continued success- 
fully identified with farming and stock- 
growing, becoming one of the substan- 
tial fanners and highly honored citizens 
of the county. He passed .the closing 
years of his life in the village of Clar- 
ence, and hei-e he was shot and killed 
January 9, 1909, while in discharge of 
his duty as village marshal. He was a 
citizen of sterling integrity of character 
and his genial personality had won to 
him a wide circle of friends in the com- 
munity, so that his death was deeply de- 
l)lored. He was a stavmch Republican in 
his political proclivities, and he served 
as a valiant soldier of the Union in the 
Civil war, having enlisted in a regiment 
of Ohio volunteer infantry. He was a 
valued member of the Grand Anuy of 
the Republic up to the time of his de- 
mise, and his religious faith was that 
of the Methodist Episcopal church, as 
was also his wife's, who died September 
12, 1905. 

In the year 1862 was solemnized the 
marriage of Henry B. Eickey to Miss 
Susan Ford, who was born aud reared 
in Harrison county, Ohio, and they be- 
came the parents of six children, all of 
whom are li^^ng, and concerning whom 
the following brief record is here en- 
tered: John C, subject of this review, 
is the eldest of the number; Samuel is 
engaged in the fur and hide business in 
Moberly; James A. is also a resident 
of Moberly, ^Missouri ; Cora is the wife 
of Charles J. Woolridge, of Sioux Citj-, 
Iowa ; Charles H. resides in Clarence, 
as does also Edna, who is the wife of 
John Larkin. 

John C. Rickey gained his early edu- 
cational discipline in the excellent pub- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



391 



lie schools of Athens and Pleasanton, 
Ohio, and after leaving school he con- 
tinued to be associated with his father 
in the work and management of the 
home farm until 1883, when he went to 
Mount Sterling, Illinois, where he was 
associated with his uncle, Dr. John C. 
Rickey, where he spent two and a half 
years after a severe spell of typhoid 
fever, at the expiration of which he re- 
turned to the parental home. He ac- 
companied his parents on their removal 
to Kansas and was associated with his 
father in the hotel business in Lawrence, 
after which lie came with the family to 
Shelby county, Missouri, in 1887. For 
two years he was here associated with 
his brother-in-law, Charles J. Woolridge, 
in the grocery business in Clarence, and 
thereafter he wtis engaged in the same 
line of enterprise in an individual way 
until 1897, when he founded a success- 
ful business in contracting work for the 
constructing of cement walks, buildings 
and other structural work. He is still 
interested in this enterprise, which has 
grown to be one of no inconsiderable 
scope and importance. As a business 
man he has shown marked energy, dis- 
crimination and progressiveness, and his 
course has been so directed as to retain 
to him the unqualified confidence and es- 
teem of tlie community, the while he has 
ever manifested a loyal interest in all 
that has tended to conserve the general 
welfare. 

In politics ^Ir. Rickey is found aligned 
as a stalwart supporter of the principles 
and policies for which the Republican 
party stands sponsor, and he has given 
effective service in its cause. On April 
19, 1906, under the administration of 



President Roosevelt, he received ap- 
pointment to the office of postmaster of 
Clarence, of which position he has since 
remained the able and popular incum- 
bent, besides which he served two years 
as a member of the village council of 
Clarence. He is affiliated with the Court 
of Honor, and his wife is a member of 
the Christian church. 

On January 23, 1895, Mr. Rickey was 
united in marriage to Miss Emma Carey, 
of Clarence, who was born near Eldera, 
Pike county, Illinois, and who is a daugh- 
ter of William Carey, a repi-esentative 
citizen of Shelby county. Mr. and Mrs. 
Rickey have two children, Merle and 
Claremont, both of whom are attending 
the public schools of their home village. 

CITIZENS' BANK OF CLARENCE. 

One of the ably managed and essen- 
tially substantial financial institutions of 
Shelby county is that whose title initi- 
ates this paragraph and which is estab- 
lished in the thriving and attractive city 
of Clarence. This bank was organized 
in 1900, and its charter bears date of 
June 13th of that year. It began opera- 
tions upon a capita-1 stock of $10,000, 
and the personnel of the original official 
corps was as here noted : John R. Jones, 
president; Jacob H. Merrin, vice-presi- 
dent; B. B. Asbury, cashier; and Will- 
iam B. Pritchard, assistant cashier. On 
September 2, 1902, the capital stock was 
increased to $15,000, and on September 
8th of the following year the stock was 
raised to $20,000. On March 30, 1905, 
Theodore P. Manuel, Charles F. Afflick 
and others purchased the Interests of 
Messrs. Asbury and Pritchard and in- 



392 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



creased the capital stock of the institu- 
tion to its present noteworthy figure — 
$40,000. Tlie bank is now one of the 
solid and progressive financial institu- 
tions of the county, controlling a large, 
representative and constantly expanding 
business and basing its operations upon 
ample capital and the best of executive 
direction. The present ofifieers of the 
bank are as here noted: Theodore P. 
Manuel, president; Charles F. Afldick, 
vice-president; and William J. Daniel, 
cashier. In addition to these executive 
officers the board of directors also in- 
cludes John T. ^\jnick and J. E. Daniel. 
The bank has a surplus fund of $6,500 ; 
its loans and discounts, personal collat- 
eral and real estate, aggregate fully 
$140,000, and the institution owns its 
own well equipped banking house. 

JAMES E. ROY, M. D. 

Dr. Roy is numbered among the rep- 
resentative physicians and surgeons of 
the younger generation in Shelby county 
and is engaged in practice in the village 
of Clarence, being associated with his 
elder brother, Dr. Frank K. Roy, under 
the firm title of Drs. Roy & Roy, and 
both are recognized as able and success- 
ful members of their profession and as 
citizens of progressive ideas and dis- 
tinctive public spirit, well worthy of the 
high regard in which they are uniformly 
held in the community. 

Dr. James E. Roy was born in the 
village of Ilager's Grove, Shell)y county, 
Missouri, July 22, 1883, and is a son of 
James G. and Pauline (Bright) Roy, 
both natives of Marion county, this state, 
where tlie former was born March 10, 
1846, and the latter February 2, 1849. 



The father was reared and educated in 
Marion county and as a young man he 
engaged in the boot and shoe business 
at Palmyra, that county, where he con- 
tinued to reside until 1878, when he came 
to Shelby county and located in the vil- 
lage of Clarence, where he owned and 
conducted a lumber yard for one year. 
He then sold the business and removed 
to a farm in Clay township, this county, 
where he devoted his attention to farm- 
ing and stock-growing for the ensuing 
five years. In the spring of 1883 he sold 
his farm and removed to the village of 
Hager's Grove, where he continued to 
be associated with Joseph Hunolt in the 
general merchandise business until his 
death, which occurred November 2 0, 
1908. He was also the owner of a farm 
of 160 acres at the tinfe of his demise. 
In 1868 was solemnized his marriage to 
Miss Pauline Bright, who survives him 
and who now maintains her home in 
Clarence. Of their four children, three 
are living — William E., of Hager's 
Grove; and Drs. Frank K. and James 
E., of Clarence, who are associated in 
professional and business lines, as al- 
ready noted. The father was a man of 
exalted integrity of character and was 
a leader in thought and action in the 
community. In jiolitics he gave his al- 
legiance to the Democratic party, and 
he served as postmaster and justice of 
the peace at Hager's Grove. He was 
affiliated with the Masonic fraternity and 
the Indejiendent Order of Odd Fellows, 
and was a most zealous and devoted 
member of the Christian church, as is 
also his widow. He was an elder in the 
churcli at Hager's Grove and also served 
as superintendent of its Sunday school. 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



393 



I 



Dr. James E. Roy gained his prelimi- 
nary education in the district schools of 
Shelby eoiiuty and later continued his 
studies in the high schools of Shelby- 
ville and Shelbina. For four years after 
leaving school he was a successful and 
popular teacher in the vilhige of Hager's 
Grove, and for one year he was similarly 
engaged at Bacon Chapel, this county. 
For two years thereafter he was em- 
ployed as clerk in different mercantile 
establishments in Clarence, and in the 
meanwliile he formulated definite plans 
for his future career, deciding to pre- 
pare himself for the medical profession. 
With this end in view he was duly ma- 
triculated in the University Medical Col- 
lege of Kansas City, in which excellent 
institution he completed the prescribed 
technical course and was graduated May 
14, 1908, duly receiving his well earned 
degree of Doctor of Medicine. After his 
graduation he sei'ved nearly a year as 
house surgeon of the University hospi- 
tal, connected with his alma mater, and 
here he gained specially valuable clin- 
ical experience. In May, 1909, he be- 
came associated with his brother, Dr. 
Frank K., in the practice of his profes- 
sion in Clarence, where he has been most 
successful in his work and where he has 
gained a secure hold upon popular con- 
fidence and esteem, both as a physician 
and as a citizen. He is identified with 
the Shelby County Medical Society, and 
is examining physician for a number of 
]")rominent insurance companies and fra- 
ternal organizations. In politics he is 
aligned as a staunch advocate of the 
principles of the Democratic party, and 
he is affiliated with the Masonic frater- 
nity, the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 



lows, and the Modern Woodmen of 
America. 

On December 20, 1908, Dr. Roy was 
united in marriage to Miss Blanch Eber- 
hard, daughter of Francis M. Eberhard, 
of Clarence, and they are prominent in 
the social activities of the community. 

WILLIAM M. BAYLISS, M. D. 

Dr. Bayliss, who is engaged in the 
l)ractice of his profession at Clarence, 
Shelby county, is one of the well known 
and essentially representative physi- 
cians and surgeons of the state, having 
served as a member of the medical staff 
of the Missouri State Hospital for the 
Insane at Fulton, and also having been 
promijiently identified with the estab- 
lishing of the state hospital for the treat- 
ment of incipient tuberculosis. These 
preferments indicate his high profes- 
sional standing, and in his private prac- 
tice he has gained distinctive success and 
prestige, the while commanding unquali- 
fied popular confidence and esteem both 
as a physician and as a citizen. 

Dr. Bayhss is a scion of a family early 
foiuided in the patrician Old Dominion 
state, of which he himself is a native 
son, having been born in historic Win- 
chester, Virginia, October 12, 1850. His 
grandfather, Thomas Blackburn Bayliss, 
was likewise a native of Virginia, where 
he passed his entire life, and where he 
was the owner of a large ]>lantation, 
being a man of influence in his connnu- 
nity. John W. Bayliss, father of the 
doctor, was born in Fre^lerick county, 
Virginia, on January 7, 1828, and he 
was reared and educated in his native 
state, where he continued to maintain his 



394 



inSTOIJY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



home until 1858, when lie removed to 
Indiana, where he has since maintained 
his home, being one of the honored pio- 
neer citizens of Hendricks county, that 
state, where he is now living retired, 
having been actively identified with 
farming and stock-raising from 1850 
until 1900, in which latter year he re- 
signed the active hd^ors and responsibili- 
ties to others, and he has since enjoyed 
the gracious rewards of former years of 
earnest toil and endeavor. He has 
wielded no little influence in public af- 
fairs of a local order, is a staunch ad- 
herent of the Democratic party, and in 
the community that has so long been his 
home he commands the high regard of 
all wlio know liim. Both he and his wife 
are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
church. 

In the year 1849 was solemnized tlie 
marriage of John Bayliss to Miss 
Frances V. Brill, who likewise was bom 
and reared in Virginia, and of their 
eight children, those living are, namely: 
William M., who is the immediate sub- 
ject of this sketch; INlarshall W., who is 
a successful farmer of Hendricks county, 
Indiana; Lewis E., who is a car repairer 
by vocation, and is a resident of the city 
of Indiaanpolis, Indiana; John H., who 
resides in Mooresville, Indiana; James 
C. and Robert H., who are residents of 
Hendricks county, that state; Thomas, 
who resides in McGill, Nevada; and 
Ella, who remains at the parental home. 

Dr. William M. Bayliss was a lad of 
eight years at the time of the family 
removal from Virginia to Indiana, in 
which latter state he was reared to ma- 
turity on the homestead farm, in Hen- 
dricks county, and there he was afforded 



the advantages of the public schools, 
after comjiletirig the curricuhmi' of which 
he was matriculated in DePauw Univer- 
sity, at Greencastle, Indiana, in the year 
1872, there continuing his studies for 
two years, at the expiration of which he 
became a successful and popular teacher 
in the public .schools of Hendricks county 
until 1876, in which centennial year he 
entered the National Normal University, 
at Lebanon, Ohio, in which excellent in- 
stitution he was graduated as a member 
of the class of 1878. and from which he 
received his well earned degree of Bach- 
elor of Science. During the ensuing two 
years he continued to follow the peda- 
gogic profession in the state of Kan- 
sas, and in the meanwhile he began the 
study of medicine, under effective ])ri- 
vate preceptorship. In 1880 he entered 
the Kansas City ]\Iedical College, in 
which he was graduated as a member of 
the class of 1882, being valedictorian of 
the class, with the degree of Doctor of 
Medicine. In the same year he located 
at ^lillford, Texas, where he engaged in 
the practice of his profession, to which 
he continued to devote his attention in 
the Lone Star state until 1887, when he 
came to Shelby county, Missouri, and es- 
tablished himself in practice in the at- 
tractive and thriving little city of Clar- 
ence. Here he built up a large and rep- 
resentative professional business, to 
which he continued to give his imdivided 
attention until 1902, in the fall of which 
year he was appointed a member of the 
staff of physicians of the Missouri State 
Hospital, No. 1, for the care of the in- 
sane, at Fulton, proving a most able and 
valued official, and continuing incumbent 
of this ])osition for four years. Upon 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



395 



the election of Hon. Josei^h Folk to tlie 
office of governor of the state, in 1904. 
the chief executive appointed Dr. Bay- 
liss chairman of the commission to which 
was assigned the work of selecting a lo- 
cation and instituting the erection of the 
state hosx)ital for the treatment of incipi- 
ent tuberculosis. The hospital was es- 
tablished at Mount Vernon, and after 
the l)uildiug for the same was in part 
completed Dr. Bayliss was chosen super- 
intendent of the institution, in which 
capacity he continued to serve for one 
year, at the expiration of which he re- 
signed to resume the private practice of 
his profession in Slielby county. At that 
time he returned to Clarence, where he 
has since maintained his home and where 
he has even increased his professional 
precedence, his clientage being of repre- 
sentative order. He is a member of the 
Shelby County Medical Society, the Mis- 
souri State Medical Society, and the 
American Medical Association. He is a 
close student of his profession and keeps 
in touch with the advances made in both 
medicine and surgery. 

In his political allegiance Dr. Bayliss 
is found arrayed as a staunch supporter 
of the cause of the Democratic party, 
and he and his wife hold membership in 
the Methodist Episcopal church. South. 
He is affiliated with the Masonic frater- 
nity, the Benevolent & Protective Order 
of Elks, and the ]\Iodern Woodmen of 
America. 

On May 29, 1884, Dr. Bayliss was 
united in marriage to JMiss Mary A. Not- 
tingham, who was born in Pennsylvania, 
and of their five children, four are liv- 
ing: Paul, Charles, Maurine and Lucille, 
all of whom remain at the parental home 



and are popuhir figures in the social 
activities of the community. The doctor 
is local surgeon for the Cliicago, Bur- 
lington & Quincy railroad for Clarence. 

BURRELL MILLION. 
(Deceased.) 

The honored subject of this short men- 
tion was for many years one of Shelby 
county's most highly respected citizens, 
and we regret that a more extended men- 
tion cannot be made of him in this work, 
but for lack of data we embrace the fol- 
lowing brief notice, which appeared in 
the Clarence Courier at the time of his 
death, September 3, 1910 : 

"The death of Uncle Burrell Million 
last Saturday was a sad shock and sur- 
prise to our community. Mr. Million 
had been on our streets only a couple of 
days befoi'e, and few knew of his sick- 
ness, and none realized the severity of 
his case. 

"Mr. Million was one of our oldest 
and most substantial citizens. He was 
(juiet in disposition, a man who loved his 
fellowman and was always ready and 
glad to extend the helping hand. 

"He was l)orn in Kentucky, in 1828, 
and moved to Missouri early in life. The 
greater part of his life was spent on his 
farm near Woodlawn. He moved to 
Clarence only a few years ago, and dur- 
ing his residence here lived a retired 
life. 

"The deceased leaves a wife, three 
daughters — Mrs. Stoddard, Mrs. Far- 
rell and Mrs. Jackson — also two sons — 
John and William — to mourn his depar- 
ture. The funeral was conducted at the 
family residence yesterday at eleven 



396 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



o'clock, by Rev. J. H. Wood, of Shelbina, 
and the remains laid to rest in the A. 0. 
U. W. cemetery. 

"Mr. Million was a member of the 
Christian church, and a ]\[ason. ' ' 

JOHN R. MORGAN. 

"Whatever this leading business man 
and highly esteemed citizen of Shelbina 
is, he is all Shelbina 's own. He was born 
in that city on June 20, 1873, and grew to 
manhood among its people. He obtained 
his education in its public schools, ac- 
quired his business training in active 
connection with its industries, learned 
his trade as a j^ainter under the direc- 
tion of one of its leading mechanics, and 
has devoted all his energies in life so 
far to the promotion of its interests and 
the welfare of its people. 

Mr. Morgan is a son of the late David 
and Mary E. (Williams) Morgan, a 
sketch of whose lives will be found else- 
where in this volume. At the age of 
seventeen he began learning the paint- 
ing trade, and after he mastered it lie 
was made foreman in the painting de- 
partment of his father's wagon factory. 
He held this position with credit to him- 
self and benefit to the establishment \m- 
til he became of age. On attaining his 
majority he bought a harness manufac- 
tory. This he operated successfully for 
a period of twelve years, and in connec- 
tion with it conducted a general hard- 
ware business of which he is still the 
proprietor. His trade is flourishing and 
profital)le, and he has shown in its man- 
agement a high order of business capac- 
ity. In addition, lie has other valuable 
interests in commercial and industrial 



enterprises, being a stockholder and 
director of the Commercial Bank of 
Shelbina, and also a stockholder in the 
Trout Hardware Company of Chicago. 

In politics yir. Morgan is a true and 
tried memlier of the Democratic party, 
and is at all times active and effective in 
promoting its welfare. He is an ener- 
getic worker in all political campaigns, 
but does not aspire to public office for 
himself. He feels a deep and abiding 
interest in the welfare of his country, 
and believes that it will be best pro- 
moted by the supremacy of the political 
principles to which he gives his support. 
In fraternal life he holds membership 
in the Masonic order, its adjunct, the 
Order of the Eastern Star, and the 
Knights of Pythias. In these frater- 
nities he takes an active interest, helping 
to make them as widely and progres- 
sively useful to their members and the 
communities in which they operate as 
possible. Their social features also ap- 
jieal to him strongly, and he finds a great 
deal of enjopnent in intercourse with 
liis fellow members at the meetings of 
his lodges. 

Among the progressive and far-seeing 
citizens of Shelbina ^Ir. Morgan holds 
a high rank as one of the leaders. He is 
studious and acquisitive in the line of 
mental development, and makes it one of 
his prime activities to secxire the highest 
and broadest culture his opportunities 
will allow. He has traveled extensively 
in this and other countries, mingling 
freely with different people and obtain- 
ing a thorough knowledge of their man- 
ners, customs and pursuits. By this 
means and continuous and reflective 
reading he has gained a vast fund of 




JOHN R. MORGAN 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



397 



general information, and is prepared to 
discuss witli intelligence and profit to 
his hearers almost every topic of gen- 
eral interest, and manj- of which knowl- 
edge among the ordinary run of men is 
very limited. So general and varied, 
and at the same time so accurate, is his 
knowledge of many topics of human 
thought and interest that he has become 
an authority on them and is looked to 
for light concerning them when his fel- 
low citizens are in need of it. 

In business Mr. Morgan has been very 
successful. In local matters of moment 
he is widely useful, and in the social life 
of the community of his home he is a 
prime factor. On all sides he is held in 
the highest esteem, the regard the peo- 
ple have for him being based on well 
demonstrated merit, broad and fruitful 
public spirit and clean and upright liv- 
j^ ing. Shelbina has no better citizen, and 
none who is more universally and de- 
servedly popular. And what is more 
to his credit, he is as modest and unas- 
suming as he is worthy and well es- 
teemed, being seemingly as unconscious 
of his superior attainments as he is serv- 
iceable in the use of them. 

On October 8, 1895, Mr. Morgan was 
married to Miss Mary Laura Eeed, who 
is, like himself, a native of Shelby coun- 
ty. She is an able second to all his 
aspirations and a valuable coadjutor in 
all his enterprises. And she, also, has 
a strong hold on the regard and good 
will of all classes of the people. The 
three children born of their union are 
all living and still members of the pa- 
rental family circle. They are: Nell 
Eeed, Besse Irene and Mary Isabel, each 
of whom adds greatly to the brightness 



and warmth of the household and is a 
strong element in its popularity as a 
social center and the seat of a i-efined 
and'gracious hospitality. 

JOHN B. SHALE. 

He whose name initiates this review 
has been a resident of Shelby county 
since his boyhood days, and now holds 
precedence as one of its representative 
and essentially wide-awake and progres- 
sive business men and as a citizen emi- 
nently entitled to the high esteem in 
which he is uniformly held. He has been 
prominent^ identified with the develop- 
ment of lumbering interests in Arkansas 
and Oregon, with which line of enter- 
])rise he is still largeh^ concerned, and in 
his home town of Clarence he controls a 
large business as a buyer and shipper of 
live stock and grain, besides which he 
deals in lumber and operates a well 
equipped grist mill. 

Mr. Shale claims the fine old Keystone 
state of the Union as the place of his 
nativity, having been born in Westmore- 
land county, Pennsylvania. August 14, 
1858. His' father, William Shale, was 
born in England in 1828, and was a child 
at the time of his parents' immigration 
to America. The family settled in Penn- 
sylvania, where he was reared to matu- 
rity and where his marriage was solem- 
nized. He there devoted his attention 
principally to agricultural pursuits until 
1866, when he came with his family to 
Shelby count5% Missouri, where he and 
his devoted wife have since maintained 
their home and where they are held in 
unqualified esteem by all who know them. 
William Shale secured a tract of land in 



398 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Jefferson townsliip, where he developed 
one of the fine farm proiterties of the 
count)', and where he continued actively 
concerned in farming and stock-growing 
until 1895, when he retired from active 
labors, having also built up a successful 
enterjirise as a shipper of live stock. He 
is now living retired in the village of 
Clarence, and, though more than four 
score years of age, is well preserved in 
both mental and physical faculties. He 
is a staimch adherent of the Democratic 
party, is affiliated with the local lodge 
of Free & Accepted Masons, and both he 
and his wife hold membership in the 
ilethodist Episcopal church. As before 
stated, his marriage was solemnized in 
the state of Pennsylvania, where his 
wife, whose maiden name was Susan 
Knox, was bom and reared. Of their 
ten children, all are living except Sai-ah. 
who died at the age of thirty years. Con- 
cerning the other children the following 
brief data are consistently entereci in 
this review: Samuel C. is a resident 
of San Diego, California; "William 
B. is a well-known resident of Shelby 
county; John B., subject of this review, 
was the next in order of birth; AVesley 
T. resides in the city of Spokane, Wash- 
ington; Christina is the wife of Mr. Cur- 
tis, of Phoenix, Arizona ; George resides 
at Black Eock, Arkansas; Anna is the 
wife of John D. Bandall, of Salida, Colo- 
rado; May is the wife of Robert L. 
Jacobs, of Clarence; and Lawrence is a 
resident of Goldfield, Nevada. 

John B. Shale, whose name introduces 
this article, was about eight years of age 
at the time of tlie family removal from 
Pennsylvania to Shelby county, Mis- 
souri, and here he was reared to matu- 



rity on the home farm, early beginning 
to lend his aid in its work and in the 
meanwhile duly availing himself of the 
advantages of the district schools of the 
locality and period. He continued to be 
associated in the work and management 
of his father's farm until he had at- 
tained to the age of twenty-five years, 
when he took up his re.sidence in the 
city of Clarence, where he was engaged 
in the livery business for eighteen 
months, at the expiration of which, in 
1885, he engaged in the buying and ship- 
ping of grain, in which connection he 
now operates a modern grist mill, and he 
is also engaged in the lumber business 
and in the buying and shipping of live 
stock. These varied and important in- 
terests place exacting demands upon his 
time and attention, but his vital energy, 
his keen business sagacity and his admin- 
istrative ability are adequate to meet all 
contingencies that may arise. He has 
directed his efforts in a splendid way 
along noiTual and legitimate lines of en- 
terprise, and his honest and straightfor- 
ward policy has gained to him the confi- 
dence of all with whom he has had deal- 
He is one of the alert and re- 



inas. 



sourceful business men who are uphold- 
ing the industrial prestige of Shelby 
county, and as such he is well entitled 
to this slight tribute of recognition in the 
history of the county which has so long 
represented his home. 'Mr. Shale is a 
stockholder in the Clai'ence Savings 
Bank, of which he is a director, and is 
also a stockholder of the Shelby County 
State Bank, of Clarence. He is the owner 
of 160 acres of valuable farming land in 
Shelby county, and about one-half of this 
tract is under cultivation, the remainder 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



399 



being utilized for grazing purposes. He 
and his partners own 2,250 acres in 
Missouri. 

In politics ]\rr. Shale gives an unquali- 
fied allegiance to the Democratic party. 
He is affiliated with the Knights of 
Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of 
America, and both he and his wife hold 
membership in the Methodist Episcopal 
church, South. He has acliieved pro- 
nounced success in his business opera- 
tions, and especially in connection with 
himbering enterprises in Oregon and 
Arkansas, where he has large interests 
at the present time. 

In April, 1885, was celebrated the mar- 
riage of Mr. Shale to Miss Abbie George, 
a daughter of David George, a repre- 
sentative citizen of Granville, this state. 
Mr. and Mrs. Shale became the parents 
of seven children, all of whom are liv- 
ing, namely: Roger, who now resides in 
Washington, D. C. ; Helen, George B., 
Corinne, Kathleen, Charles and Frances, 
all of whom remain at the parental 
home. 

ELISHA A. CALLISON. 

A scion of staunch Scottish stock, this 
well-known business man and popular 
citizen of the city of Clarence well ex- 
emplified the sterling traits of character 
that have ever designated the sturdy 
race from which he is sprung, his grand- 
father, Elisha F. Callison, having been 
a native of Scotland, and having taken 
up his residence in West Virginia u])on 
coming to America. There he passed 
the residue of his long and useful life, 
West Virginia at that time having been 
still an integral portion of the Old Do- 
minion of Virginia. Mr. Callison is asso- 



ciated in the milling, grain and live-stock 
business with John B. Shale, a sketch of 
whose career appears on other pages of 
this work, and they control a large and 
successful enterprise in the various de- 
partments of their business, being large 
shippers of stock in addition to conduct- 
ing successful operations in the other 
lines noted. This effective partnership 
alliance is maintained irader the firm 
name of Callison & Shale. 

Elisha A. Callison reverts with a due 
measure of satisfaction to the fact that 
he is a native son of the state in whicli 
his honored father and grandfather ac- 
quitted themselves so well as productive 
workers and loyal and worthy citizens. 
He was liorn in Greenbrier county, W^est 
Virginia, on October 28, 1860, and is a 
son of Oscar and Margaret (Bright) Cal- 
lison, both of whom were likewise na- 
tives of that county, where their mar- 
riage was solemnized, and where they 
continued to maintain their home imtil 
their death. The father was born in 
1836, devoted his entire active career to 
agricultural pursuits and stock-growing, 
and remained on his fine old homestead 
farm until his death, which occurred in 
1877. His wife, who was born in 1838, 
died in 1888, their marriage having been 
solemnized in the year 1849. Oscar Cal- 
lison was a staunch adherent of the 
Democratic party, took an intelligent and 
loyal interest in public affairs of a local 
order, and served one year as sheriff of 
Greenbrier county, where he ever com- 
manded the unipialified esteem of all who 
knew him. Both he and his devoted wife 
held membershi]) in the Presbyterian 
church, and their faith was well exempli- 
fied in their dailv lives. Thev became 



400 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



the jia rents of five children, of whom 
four are now living, namely : Elisha A., 
who is the immediate subject of this re- 
view; James C, who is a resident of 
Casjier. Kansas; ^[ary, who is the wife 
of (Jeorge E. Chinn. of Clarence. Shelby 
county, Missouri; and Austin, who is 
a representative farmer of Barber 
coimty. Kansas. 

Elisha A. Callison was reared to ma- 
turity under the grateful influences and 
sturdy labors of the old homestead farm, 
and he was atforded the advantages of 
the excellent public schools of Lewisburg, 
AVest Virginia. At the age of sixteen 
years he went to Highland county. Vir- 
ginia, where he assisted in the work of 
the fann of his uncle, John W. Bird, for 
the ensuing live years. He then, in 1881, 
when twenty-one years of age, came to 
Shelby county, Missouri, where he found 
emplojTnent by the month at fann work, 
being thus engaged for a period of three 
years, during which he was industrious 
and economical, carefully conserving his 
resources and formulating jilans for an 
independent career. At the expiration 
of the interval noted. Mr. Callison en- 
gaged in farming and stock-raising on 
his own resjionsibility. renting a farm in 
Jetferson township, about three miles 
distant from the city of Clarence. There 
he continued operations with all of en- 
ergy and with unremitting care and dis- 
crimination for about three yeaii;, and 
he then removed to Barber county, Kan- 
sas, where he continued in the same line 
of enterprise, and where he finally be- 
came the owner of a well improved farm 
of 2,250 acres. He remained in the Sun- 
flower state for a period of twelve years, 
at the expiration of which, in 1901, he 



returued to Shelby county, ^[issouri. and 
purchased a fann of 320 acres near Clar- 
ence, in Jefferson township, a jiroperty 
which he sold in 1903. In the autxnnn of 
1902. however, he left the farm and took 
up his residence in Clarence, where he 
has since been successfully engaged in 
business in partnershi]i with John B. 
Shale, as noted in the opening paragraph 
of this article. Mr. Callison is recog- 
nized as one of the essentially progres- 
sive and re]>resentative business men of 
the county, and his success is the more 
gratifying to contemplate by reason of 
the fact that it is the result of his own 
well directed efforts and good business 
judgment. Xo citizen of the community 
commands a larger measure of popular 
confidence and regard, and he is loyal 
and public-spirited in his attitude, ever 
ready to lend his influence and tangible 
aid in the support of measures and enter- 
prises tending to advance the general 
weal. His political allegiance is given 
to the Democratic party; he is affiliated 
with the local organizations of the 
Knights of Pythias, the Ancient Order 
of United Workmen, and the Modern 
Woodmen of America, and both he and 
his wife are members of the PresTn"te- 
rian church. 

February 14. 1883, recorded the mar- 
riage of Mr. Callison to Miss Anna 
Erwin. who was born and reared in 
Highland county. Virginia, whither he 
returned to claim his bride, who accom- 
panied him to his new home in ^lissouri, 
and who has jiroved a worthy and effi- 
cient helpmeet. They are the parents of 
seven children, all of whom remain at 
the parental home, except the elder 
daughter. The names of the children. 



HISTORY or SHELBY COUNTY 



401 



as here entered in respective order of 
birth, are: John 0., Elizabeth, Edward 
A., ^largaret, Harry, Charles and Anna. 
Elizabeth is now the wife of William 
Gillespie, and they reside in Miles City, 
Montana. 

MINUS H. LEWIS. 

On other pages of this publication is 
entered a brief review of the career of 
Aaron Lewis, the honored father of the 
.'subject of this sketch, and by reason of 
this fact it is not necessary to repeat the 
data in this article, as ready reference 
maj' be made to the sketch mentioned. 
He whose name heads this paragraph 
is a native of Shelby county and is now 
numbered among its enterprising and 
essentially representative business men, 
while as a citizen he holds the unquali- 
fied esteem and confidence of the people 
of the county in which his entire life has 
been passed. 

Minus H. Lewis was born on the home- 
stead farm of the family, in Jefferson 
township, Shelby county, Missouri, May 
29, 1872, and to the district schools of 
the locality he is indebted for his early 
educational training. After his school 
days were over he continued to be asso- 
ciated with his father in the work and 
management of the farm until 1900, 
when he took up his residence in the vil- 
lage of Clarence, where he erected a 
grain elevator of large capacity and 
modem facilities, thus showing a spirit 
of progressiveness and confidence that 
had not previously been manifested in 
a similar way by any other resident of 
the county, as this elevator was the first 
to be erected within the borders of Shel- 



by county. He conducted a successful 
grain business for the ensuing two years, 
at the expiration of which he di.sposed of 
the elevator and business. While thus 
engaged he was also associated with 
William F. Hirrlinger in the conducting 
of a well equipped hardware, furniture 
and undertaking establishment, under 
the fiiTQ name of Lewis & Hirrlinger. In 
1904 he purchased his partner's interest 
in this enterprise, which he thereafter 
conducted in an individual way until 
1907, when he disposed of all his business 
interests in the village and purchased 
stock in the Clarence Savings Bank, of 
which he was elected assistant cashier 
in Januaiy of that year. Of this posi- 
tion he has since continued incumbent, 
giving the major portion of his time and 
attention to his executive duties in con- 
nection with this substantial and popu- 
lar financial institution. He is the owner 
of an attractive residence and other im- 
proved realty in Clarence and is one of 
the loyal and public-spirited citizens who 
are conserving the material and civic 
progress of liis native county, where his 
circle of friends is limited only by that 
of his acquaintances. He is a staunch 
Democrat in his political proclivities and 
takes a lively interest in public affairs of 
a local order. 

On October 11, 1896, Mr. Lewis was 
imited in marriage to !Miss TjOu McCart\', 
who was born in Schuyler county, Illi- 
nois, and who is a daughter of Michael 
McCarty, now a resident of Clarence. 

AAEON LEWIS. 

Aaron Lewis has been a resident of 
Shelby county for more than forty years, 
during the major portion of which he 



402 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



has been actively identified with the great 
basic industry of agriculture, in connec- 
tion with which he has gained success 
and independence through his well di- 
rected energies and indefatigable appli- 
cation. He is now living virtually re- 
tired in the village of Clarence, where 
he has an attractive home, and is enjoy- 
ing the generous rewards of former 
years of earnest endeavor and where he 
is known as a substantial citizen and as 
one well worthy of the unqualified es- 
teem in which he is held in the commu- 
nity that has so long represented home 
and been the scene of his productive 
activities. 

Mr. Lewis was born in Dorchester 
county, ^Maryland, on November 13, 1843, 
and is of staunch "Welsh and English 
lineage, the Lewis family having been 
founded in Maryland in the colonial era 
of our national history. He bears the 
full patronymic of his honored father, 
Aaron Lewis, who'was born in Marjiand 
in 1795, and who there passed his entire 
life, having been summoned' to eternal 
rest on September 23, 1843, about a 
month befoi-e the birth of the subject of 
this review. During the greater portion 
of his independent career he was identi- 
fied with agricultural pursuits, and for 
some time he was engaged in the general 
merchandise business at Federalsburg, 
Maryland. His wife, whose maiden name 
was Nancy Adams, was likewise a native 
of Maryland, and she survived him by 
many years, having passed away in 
1902. They became the i)arents of eight 
childi'en and concerning the four now 
living the following data are entered: 
Charles is a resident of Knox county, 
Missouri ; Abraham resides in the vil- 



lage of Novelty, this state; Lovey is the 
wife of AVilliam Sullin, of Knox county; 
and Aaron is the immediate subject of 
this review. In politics the father was 
a staunch supporter of the cause of the 
Whig party, and both he and his wife 
held membership in the Methodist Epis- 
copal church. 

Aaron Lewis, subject of this sketch, 
was reared to the sturdy discipline of 
the farm and his early educational privi- 
leges were those offered in the common 
schools of the locality and period. After 
leaving school he continued to follow 
farm work for some time, and later was 
employed as clerk in a general store at 
Williamsburg, Maryland. He then be- 
came a sailor on a coasting vessel, and 
he continued to follow the seafaring life 
about two years. The merchantman on 
which he was engaged was chartered at 
intervals by the government during the 
progress of the Civil war and was lying 
at the mouth of the Appomattox river at 
the time of the evacuation of the city of 
Kichmond, Virginia. Upon retiring from 
the maritime sei'vice, ^Nfr. Lewis re- 
turaed home and learned the trade of 
carpenter, to which he continued to de- 
vote his attention for a period of five 
years, during which he maintained liis 
home at Federalsburg, Maryland. 

In 1868 Mr. Lewis came to Missouri 
and took up his abode in Shelby county, 
where he has since maintained his home 
and where through his own efforts he 
has become a successful and representa- 
tive citizen. For two years he followed 
his trade in the village of Clarence, and 
during the remainder of his active career 
he gave his attention to farming and 
stock-raising, eventually becoming the 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



403 



owner of a fine lauded estate of 240 
acres near the village of Maud, in Jef- 
ferson township. He developed the 
property into one of the productive and 
valuable farms of the county, made ex- 
cellent improvements upou the place, 
and continued to reside on this home- 
stead until 1899, when he retired from 
active labors and removed to the village 
of Clarence, where he has since main- 
tained his home. He disposed of his 
farm several years ago. He is a stock- 
holder of the Clarence Savings Bank and 
has other substantial capitalistic invest- 
ments in his home coimty. 

In politics Mr. Lewis is found arrayed 
as a stalwart advocate of the principles 
and policies for which the Democratic 
party stands sponsor, and he continues 
to take a lively and intelligent interest in 
the questions and issues of the hour, the 
while exemplifying the highest standard 
of loyal and public-spirited citizenship. 
He is affiliated with the local lodge of 
Free & Accepted Masons, and attends 
and supports the ]\Iethodist Episcopal 
church. South, of which his wife is a 
zealous member. 

On August 25, 1870, Mr. Lewis was 
united in marriage to Miss Rosa Con- 
radt, who was born in Germany, on July 
25, 1848, and who was a resident of Shel- 
by county at the time of her marriage. 
Her father, the late Jacob Conradt, set- 
tled in this county many years ago and 
became one of its substantial fanners 
and honored citizens. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Lewis have been born six children, all 
of whom are living, nameh': Minus H., 
who is engaged in banking in Clarence; 
Katherine, who is the wife of Willis 
Cross, of Clarence; Delia May, who re- 



mains at the parental home; Mollie, who 
is the wife of Samuel Sanner, a pros- 
perous farmer of this county; John E., 
who is now a resident of the state of 
Wyoming ; and Nora, who is the wife of 
Porter Robuck, of Shelby county. 

WILLIAM L. JACOBS. 

Bearing a name that has been long 
and prominently identified with the an- 
nals of Shelby county, where this well 
known and honored family was founded 
in the early pioneer days, William L. 
Jacobs has well upheld the prestige of 
the name and is now recognized as one 
of the representative business men and 
influential citizens of his native county, 
where he has a secure place in popular 
confidence and regard. He is now en- 
gaged in the general merchandise busi- 
ness in the thriving little city of Clar- 
euce, and he is one of the leading and 
most progi'essive merchants of the 
county, coutrolliug a large and apprecia- 
tive trade, which is based on fair and 
honorable dealings and which extends 
throughout the fine agricultural territory 
uovmally tributary to Clarence as a dis- 
tributing center. Adequate review of 
the family history is given in the me- 
moir dedicated to his honored father, 
the late John W. Jacobs, on other pages 
of this publication. 

William L. Jacobs was born on the 
old homestead farm of his father, in 
Clay township, Shelby county, Missouri, 
and the date of his nativity was Sep- 
tember 6, 1858. He has naught to re- 
gret in connection with the sturdy dis- 
cipline which he received in connection 
with the work of the farm and under 



404 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



the direction of a father of marked en- 
ergy and excellent l)usiness judg-ment. 
He was afforded the advantages of the 
well conducted public schools of the vil- 
lage of Clarence, and this training was 
supplemented by an effective course in 
the Gem City Business College, at 
Quiney, Illinois. In 1877, soon after at- 
taining to his legal majority, Mr. Jacobs 
took up his residence in LacygTie, Kan- 
sas, where he was engaged in the gro- 
cery business for the ensuing five years, 
the venture proving successful and af- 
fo)ding iiim excellent business experi- 
ence of a practical order. In 1882 he 
returned to his native county and for 
the ensuing two years he was identified 
with various business interests in the 
village of Clarence. At the expiration 
of this period, January 1, 1884, he en- 
gaged in the general merchandise busi- 
ness in this city, a line of enterprise with 
which he has here continued to be suc- 
cessfully identified since that time. The 
business Avas at the start eouducted un- 
der the firm name of Whitby, Jacobs & 
Company, his father being a silent part- 
ner in the concern and the other active 
member having been Stephen M. Whitby. 
The father continued to be passively in- 
terested in the enterprise until his de- 
mise, and after the death of j\Ir. Whitby 
the subject of this sketch continued the 
business in partnership with his brother, 
Eobert L. Jacobs, until 1898, when he 
purchased his brother's interest. Since 
that time he has individually conducted 
the business under his own name, and 
his large and well equipped establish- 
ment caters most effectively to its ex- 
tensive and representative patronage. 
Clothing, boots and shoes, and furnish- 



ing goods are handled, and Mr. Jacobs 
has showTi unqualified discrimination in 
the selection of goods and in meeting 
the demands of his ever increasing 
trade. 

Mr. Jacobs has not hedged himself in 
with his personal affairs and the pro- 
motion of his business, but has mani- 
fested a broad-minded, liberal and loyal 
attitude as a citizen, giving his influ- 
ence and co-operation in the supjiort of 
all measures and enterprises tending to 
advance the material and civic prosper- 
itj'^ of the conununity. His political al- 
legiance is given to the Democratic 
party, and, while he has never been am- 
bitious for public office, he has been 
called upon to serve as a member of the 
board of city aldermen, of which posi- 
tion he was a valued incumbent for some 
years. He is an appreciative and popu- 
lar member of Clarence Lodge, No. 305, 
Free & Accepted Masons, of which he 
served as worshipful master for three 
terms. 

On May 29, 1889, Mr. Jacobs was 
united in marriage to Miss Emma See- 
ley, who was born in this state, and who 
is a daughter of the late James Seeley, 
an honored citizen of Clarence at the 
time of his death. Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs 
became the parents of four children, of 
whom one, Mary A., died at the age of 
four years. The surviving children — 
Louis S., Aileen and Nellie E. — remain 
at the parental home, which is a recog- 
nized center of gracious hospitality. 

JOHN W. JACOBS. 

A strong, noble, forceful and benefi- 
cent influence was that exercised by the 



HISTOBY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



405 



subject of this memoir in connection witli 
the civic affairs and practical business 
activities of Shelby county, where he 
long lived and labored to goodly ends, 
and where his name is revered by all 
who came within the sphere of his gen- 
erous and kindly influence. As one who 
was thoroughly and essentially a rep- 
resentative citizen of the county, there 
is eminent propriety in according in this 
volume a tribute of respect and appre- 
ciation to his memory. 

John Wright Jacobs was born in 
Greene coimty, in the eastern part of the 
state of Tennessee, August 5, 1824, and 
died at his home in the city of Clarence, 
Shelby county, Missouri, April 7, 1906, 
leaving the priceless heritage of a good 
name, as no spot or blemish rests on any 
part of his career, now that he has 
passed forward to the life eternal. His 
father, Lewis M. Jacobs, was a merchant 
tailor at Greenville, Tennessee, and 
among the first of the journeymen tail- 
ors employed by him was Andrew John- 
son, who eventually became president of 
the United States, and whose name and 
fame rest secure in the annals of our 
nation. Lewis M. Jacobs was a native 
of Virginia, where the family was 
founded in the colonial epoch, and the 
lineage is traced back to staunch Scotch- 
Irish origin. He was reared and edu- 
cated in the Old Dominion state, whence, 
as a young man, he removed to Green- 
ville, Tennessee, where he was engaged 
in business for a number of years. 
There was solemnized his marriage to 
Miss Anna AVright, and a number of 
years later he removed with his family 
to Missouri and located in Shelbyville, 
where he passed the residue of his long 



and useful life, a successful business 
man and sterling citizen, and one whose 
name merits perpetuation as that of one 
of the worthy pioneers of Shelby county. 
His death occurred in 1868, and his cher- 
ished and devoted wife preceded him to 
eternal rest by about one year. They 
became the parents of six children, of 
whom the subject of this memoir was 
the eldest. The father secured a tract 
of land near Shelbyville, and there gave 
his attention to farming, in connection 
with other business enterprises. On this 
old homestead his children were reared 
to maturity. 

John W. Jacobs was a boy at the time 
of the family removal to Missouri, and 
he contributed his quota to the develop- 
ment of the home farm near Shelbyville, 
in the meanwhile availing himself of 
such advantages as were offered by the 
common schools of the locality and pe- 
riod. He remained at home and assisted 
in the management of the farm until 
two years after his marriage, which was 
solemnized in 1855. In 1857 he pur- 
chased and established his home upon 
a farm in Clay township, this county, 
developing the same into one of the 
model places of the county, and there 
continuing to be actively identified with 
agricultural pursuits and stock-growing 
until 1873, when he disposed of his farm 
and removed to the village of Clarence, 
where he became a dealer in lumber, ag- 
I'icultural implements and grain, in con- 
nection with which important lines of 
enterprise he built up a large and sub- 
stantial trade and gained precedence as 
one of the vigorous, far-sighted and pro- 
gressive ])Usinoss men of the county. In 
1876 he disposed of this business, and 



406 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



thereafter he continued to be identified 
with other lines of enterprise of varied 
order until 1884, in January of which 
year he and his son, William L., secured 
a half interest in the general merchan- 
dise business which was thereafter con- 
ducted under the firm name of AVhitby, 
Jacobs & Company, the son assuming 
the active management of the business, 
which he still continues, as will be noted 
by reference to the sketch of his career 
appearing on other pages of this work. 
In this connection John W. Jacobs gave 
the benefit of his keen business sagacity 
and mature experience, but, save for this 
advisory service in the business, he lived 
virtually retired from 1890 until his 
death. He was regarded as one of the 
best business men and most upright and 
honorable citizens of this part of the 
coimty, where his circle of friends was 
coincident with that of his acquaint- 
ances. Though never a seeker of public 
office or of notoriety of any order, Mr. 
Jacobs wielded a large and beneficent 
influence in local affairs, and his advice 
and counsel were frequently sought in 
connection with matters of public polity, 
the while he gave freely of his aid and 
influence in support of all that touched 
the best interests of the community. 

In politics Mr. Jacobs was aligned as 
a loyal supporter of the principles and 
policies for which the Democi-atic party 
stands sponsor, he was affiliated with 
Clarence Lodge, No. 305, Free & Ac- 
cepted Masons, and he was a most zeal- 
ous and devoted member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church, South, having 
been one of the charter members of the 
church of this denomination in Clar- 
ence, as is also his wife. Upon him de- 



volved the privilege of turning the first 
spade of earth for the erection of the 
church edifice. She survives her hon- 
ored husband and finds a measure of 
consolation and compensation in the gra- 
cious memories of their long years of 
loving companionship. She was born in 
Delaware, near Laurel, February 15, 
1836, and thus has passed the psalmist's 
span of three score years and ten. She 
is held in affectionate regard by all who 
know her, and still maintains her home 
in Clarence, where she is surrounded by 
a wide circle of devoted friends. 

On February 15, 1855, was solemnized 
the marriage of Mr. Jacobs to Miss Mary 
A. Drain, daughter of the late Stanford 
Drain, one of the honored pioneers of 
Shelby county. Of the six children of 
this union, four are living, namely : Will- 
iam L., of whom specific mention is made 
elsewhere in this volume ; Anna E., who 
remains with her widowed mother ; Eob- 
ert L., who is a representative business 
man of Clarence; and Cassie L., who is 
the wife of Albert Mai'ley, of Kansas 
City, Missouri. 

DR. HENRY M. POLLARD. 

A practicing physician and surgeon 
among them during the last twenty-two 
years, and throughout the whole period 
performing his professional duties and 
those of elevated citizenship to their en- 
tire satisfaction. Dr. Henry M. Pollard, 
of Shelbina, won the regard of the peo- 
ple of Shelby county on his merits by 
proving himself to be a very useful man 
and deeply and intelligently interested 
in the welfare of the region in which he 
lived and labored. He was active and 




HENRY M. POLLARD, M. D. 



histoi;y of shelby county 



407 



zealous in connection with all undertak- 
ings for the impi-ovement of the county 
and licttennent of its people, and gave 
all observers an excellent example of 
upright and serviceable living. 

Dr. Pollard was born on February 4, 
1861, in this county and was a grandson 
of Tliomas Pollard, a native of Ken- 
tucky, and a son of James M. Pollard, 
who was also born in that state, his life 
beginning on October 17, 1826, in Owen 
county. In 1847, although he had at- 
tained his majority, he accompanied the 
family to Missouri, and with the rest, 
took up his residence in Monroe county. 
Soon after his arrival he moved to Flor- 
ida and learned carriage and wagon 
making. He worked at the trade eiglit 
years, and during most of the time after 
completing his apprenticeship, was en- 
gaged in making wagons for parties who 
wished to travel overland to the fai'ther 
west, and also government wagons for 
Fort Leavenworth, the seat of his opera- 
tions being at Platte City in this state. 
In 1855 he returned to Monroe county, 
where he remained two years, then 
moved to Shelby county and engaged in 
general merchandising at Hunnewell, 
conducting a successful enterprise in 
that line there imtil 1863. 

In the year last named, owing to the 
imsettled and dangerous condition of 
the country around him brought on by 
the Civil war, he moved his family and 
effects to Illinios, where he dwelt until 
the restoration of peace. When the dread 
war cloud had passed away, and a rea- 
sonable degree of quiet had been brouglit 
back to the region of Ms former home, 
he returned to Monroe county, and there 
followed general farming until his death. 



which occurred in 1900. At tlie time of 
his demise he owned 300 acres of land 
and nearly all of it under advanced culti- 
vation and developed to a high state of 
productiveness. 

He took an active and very service- 
able interest in the public affairs of the 
county, and was elected presiding justice 
of the county court in 1878 for a term 
of four years. Prior to that time he 
filled other offices of trust and I'esponsi- 
bility for a ]3eriod of five years. In 
politics he was an ardent and determined 
working Democrat, always giving his 
party the full benefit of his influence, 
intelligence and energj^. His religious 
connection was with the Baptist sect, 
and fraternally he was allied with the 
Masonic order from his early manhood. 
On October 11, 1853, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Mary J. Blackburn, 
a native of Shelby county and daughter 
of Samuel Blackburn, a long esteemed 
resident of this part of the state. Three 
of the five children born of the union are 
living: Samuel Thomas, whose home is 
at Monroe City, Missouri ; Viola, the 
wife of 0. A. Marr, who resides in Mon- 
roe county, and William Lee, who lives 
at Lamar, Colorado. 

Dr. Pollard, obtained his education in 
academic lines in the public schools of 
Monroe county and at the Kirksville 
State Normal school. In 1885 he matric- 
ulated at Missouri Medical college in 
St. Louis, from which he was graduated 
with the degree of M. D. in 1888. He 
then pursued one post graduate course 
in New York and five in Chicago at the 
Polyclinic school. With the world be- 
fore him in which to choose a location for 
his life work, the young jibysician lo- 



408 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



cated at Maud in this county, where he 
began his practice in 1888. Seven years 
were passed in an active general prac- 
tice at that place, then, in 1895, the doc- 
tor moved to Shelbina, where he lived 
and gave diligent and faithful attention 
to the exactions of an ever increasing 
practice covering a steadily expanding 
range of country, rising to prominence 
in his profession and winning great and 
wide-spread popularity among the peo- 
ple until his death August 21, 1910. 

The doctor's rank in his profession 
and his popularity with the people were 
based on substantial grounds and well 
deserved. He was a close stiadent of all 
that pertained to his work, keeping 
abreast with the advance in medical 
science by reflective reading of its best 
literature, and in close touch with the 
teachings of practical experience by 
active membership in the county, state 
and national medical societies. He was 
president of the first named and one of 
its most active and useful members, and 
was esteemed by its other adherents as 
a skillful and judicious man in the ap- 
plication of the medical knowledge of 
which he was admitted to have in consid- 
erable volume and systematic accuracy. 

In fraternal life Dr. Pollard was con- 
nected with the Masonic order and the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and 
was loyal and appreciative in his devo- 
tion to both. His political affiliation was 
with the Democratic party, and to this, 
too, he was true and constant, zealous in 
its service and unwavering in his sup- 
port of its principles and candidates. At 
the time of his death he was a member 
of the Baptist church. On July 17, 1889, 
he was married to Miss Mollie Clay, the 



daughter of Charles B. and Amanda 
(Ilininger) Clay, of Monroe county, this 
state. Two children have been born of 
the union, Jessie V. and Eva C, both of 
whom are still members of the parental 
household. 

JOSEPH LEONARD RIDINGS. 

Prominent in the public life of the 
community in which he lives ; active, en- 
teri)rising and successful in his business, 
in which he occupies a leading place in 
this whole section of the state; and 
standing well in the political, fraternal, 
social and religious circles of Clarence, 
the city of liis home, Joseph Leonard 
Ridings is an ornament to Missouri man- 
hood, Shelby county citizenship and the 
business and industrial interests of a 
locality that has made rapid strides of 
progress under the influence of such men 
as he. 

Mr. Ridings was born on November 
23, 1864, and is a grandson of Peter F. 
Ridings, a native of Virginia, who be- 
came an early settler in Randolph 
county, Missouri. In that county his 
son, Peter F. Ridings, the father of Jo- 
seph Leonard, was born in 1826, Septem- 
ber 11th, and there he was reared and 
assisted the family by working on the 
home farm until 1849, when he joined 
the host of argonauts who flocked to the 
newly discovered gold fields of Califor- 
nia. The next year, however, he re- 
turned to his old home near Levick Mill, 
in Randolph county, this state, and 
turned his attention to farming on 200 
acres of land which his father gave him. 
He continued to farm this land until 
1863, then went to Illinois and for one 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



409 



I 

f 



year worked on a farm in that state. 
In 1864 lie came back to his Randolph 
county farm and soon afterward bought 
a general store and tannery, which he 
conducted until 1877. In that year he 
moved his mercantile enterprise to what 
was but a cross-roads and organized a 
town, which he named Maud in honor 
of his daughter. He continued to keep 
his store at that point, and also to farm. 
In a little while he was appointed post- 
master of Maud, and he served in that 
capacity until 1888, when he moved to 
Clarence, and during the next year fol- 
lowed the livery business. In 1869 he 
sold this and retired from all active pur- 
suits, and is now enjoying a well earned 
rest and the fruits of his labor from 
good city properties and his farm land, 
which is being farmed by a tenant. 

He was married in November, 1862, 
to Miss Mary Larrick, of Palmyra, a 
native of Virginia, who was born No- 
vember 24, 1843, and by this marriage 
became the father of seven children, five 
of whom are living: Joseph Leonard, of 
Clarence; Albert M., who lives in the 
same city ; Charles Franklin, also a resi- 
dent of Clarence; Maud, the wife of 
William Schwada, of West Burlington, 
Iowa; and Jessie, the wife of Lester 
Herst, of Denver, Colorado. In politics 
the father is a Democrat, and his wife 
is a member of the Soi;thern Methodist 
Episcopal church. 

Their son, Joseph Leonard Ridings, 
was educated in the district schools of 
Randolph and Shelby counties, and after 
leaving school he assisted his father in 
the store at Maud until he reached the 
age of twenty years. In 1884, following 



his father's example, he also organized 
a new town, which he called Enterprise, 
planting it at a cross-roads also, and 
opening and keeping the first store there. 
The place soon grew to the digiiity of a 
Ijostoffice and its founder was made post- 
master. He remained there seven years, 
operating a saw mill and blacksmith 
shop in connection with his store and 
the postofSce, and found all the circum- 
stances favorable to his prosperity. In 
1891 Mr. Ridings sold out his interests 
at Enterprise and located in Clarence. 
There he has been continuously engaged 
in contracting for building, heating, elec- 
trical and plumbing work, and is con- 
sidered the most extensive and reliable 
contractor in those lines of construction 
in this part of the county. His business 
is very large and active, and he is now 
(1910) erecting a two-story brick build- 
ing to accommodate it and provide for 
necessary enlargements. 

Mr. Ridings is also prominent and in- 
fluential in the affairs of the city. He 
is serving his fifth term as a member of 
the city council, and is considered one of 
the best, as he is certainly one of the 
most popular members of the body. He 
has given intelligent and energetic at- 
tention to the wants of the city, looked 
after its best interests with great zeal 
and enterprise, and taken broad and pro- 
gressive views, of everything involving 
its improvement and further develop- 
ment, and the people highly appreciate 
his services in this behalf. 

On January 12, 1888, Mr. Ridings was 
united in marriage with Miss Annie 
Dean Sidner, a daughter of William P. 
Sidner, of Monroe county, this state, and 



410 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



a cousin of Thomas Sidner, who was one 
of the men killed at the cruel and brutal 
Palmyra massacre of 1864. Mrs. Eid- 
ings was born in Monroe county on Sep- 
tember 17, 1867. She and her husband 
have had six children, four of whom are 
living, and all of them are still at home 
with their parents. They are: Leonard. 
DoUie, Clarence and Lucy, and add great 
life and light to the family circle. In 
politics the father is a hard working 
Democrat; in fraternal life he is con- 
nected with the Knights of the Macca- 
bees, and in religious affiliation he is a 
member of the Southern Methodist Epis- 
copal church, which his wife also attends. 

HON. EUFUS FARRELL. 

In the life story of this eminent citi- 
zen of Shelby county and esteemed jurist 
and publicist of Missouri, will be found 
a most impressive illustration of the 
number and variety of claims that are 
likely to be made on almost any Ameri- 
can citizen of parts and acquirements, 
and also of the great versatility and 
adaptability of the American mind, 
which is always found equal to all de- 
mands and ready to exercise its mastery 
over any circumstances, however imn- 
sual or trying. Farmer, commission mer- 
chant, hotel keeper, live stock man of 
active business, following other lines of 
trade, and finally judge of the highest 
court in the county, and turning his fac- 
ulties from one calling to another almost 
with the ease of a proteus. Judge Farrell 
has shown himself to be a man of great 
capacity and resourcefulness, and has 
done credit to the ancestry from which 
he sprang and also to the section of 



coimtry in which he got his training and 
preparation for life's unending and ever 
exacting battle. 

Judge Rufus Farrell was born on 
^Miu-cli 25, 1850, in Madison, Monroe 
county, Missouri, and is a grandson of 
William Farrell, a native of Kentucky, 
where the family lived for generations 
and held an honorable place in the his- 
tory of that state. The judge is a son 
of John and Mary Ann (Grove) Far- 
rell, also natives of Kentuckj^, the for- 
mer born in Madison county on July 14, 
1826, and tiie latter in Oldham county 
only a little later. The father came to 
Missouri in 1839 with his parents, and 
the family located in Monroe county. 
There he grew to manhood and learned 
the blacksmith trade, and this he fol- 
lowed in connection with farming and 
raising live stock until 1885, when he re- 
tired from active pursuits and moved to 
Madison, where he remained until his 
death ou July 15, 1905. 

At one time the Judge's father owned 
800 acres of land in adjoining ti-acts, al- 
though the.v were located in two coun- 
ties — Monroe and Shelby. His marriage 
with Miss Mary Ann Grove took place 
in 1845, and by it he became the father 
of thirteen children, six of whom are 
now living: W. M., a resident of Paris, 
Missouri; Judge Rufus, who lives in 
Clarence, this county; Thomas J., whose 
home is in St. Louis; John W., who re- 
sides in ^ladison ; ^Mary Catherine, the 
wife of 0. T. Hall, of" Shelby county; 
and Ira Stanberry, a prominent citizen 
of Billings, Montana. In politics the 
father was an ardent and steadfast Dem- 
ocrat, and in religious connection lie- 
longed to the Christian church. He al- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



411 



■ways took a very active and serviceable 
interest in church work, serving his con- 
gregation as deacon and elder at inter- 
vals for fifty years. 

Judge Rufus Farrell was educated in 
a private school at Clarence, under the 
management and instruction of Profes- 
sor Johnson. After leaving school he 
was associated with his uncle, James M. 
Farrell, six years in extensive farming 
operations, and at the end of that period 
he went to St. Louis and took up the 
live-stock commission business in part- 
nership with Metcalf, Moore & Company, 
and this occupied him imtil 1879. In 
that year he changed his plans and took 
charge of the Commercial hotel at Mo- 
berly, Missouri, and carried it on until 
1882. Tiring of the life of a publican by 
that time, he sold out in that year and 
returned to farming on 120 acres of his 
father's old place in Shelby county. He 
continued his activity in this line of en- 
deavor and the allied ones of raising and 
feeding live stock, and shipping hogs 
and cattle to the markets for fifteen 
years, until 1897, in fact, when he took 
up his residence in Clarence and gave 
his attention to the grain elevator and 
stock business in association with J. B. 
Shale. This business connection lasted 
until 1902, when Mr. Farrell was elected 
district judge. He served one term of 
four years, and at the end of that, in 
1906, he was chosen presiding .judge of 
Shelby county. Since his accession to 
this office, through his efforts, the county 
has built a fine infirmary, which was very 
badly needed, and which is now highly 
appreciated by the people. 

Judge Farrell was first married in 
1871, to i\liss Florence Martin, of this 



county. One child was born to them in 
1872, and died in 1874. Mrs. Farrell 
died in 1875, of tuberculosis. On No- 
vember 4, 1883, the Judge contracted a 
second marriage, being united on this 
occasion with Miss Bettie Wright, a resi- 
dent of Maud, Missouri. Ten children 
have been born to them, and all of them 
are living: Kuby, the wife of Dr. S. J. 
Miller, of Liberal, Kansas; Gentry T., 
a resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma ; Una 
iMay, the wife of Earl Ray, of Louisiana, 
Missouri ; and Blanche, John W., Madge, 
Maurine, Manuel, Juanita and Eliza- 
beth, all of whom are living at home 
with their parents. In politics, Judge 
Farrell is a Democrat in his faith and 
allegiance, but since his accession to the 
bench he has not been an active parti- 
san, although outside of political consid- 
erations he takes a great and very help- 
ful interest in all the public affairs of 
the county, state and nation. He has also 
been energetic and progressive with ref- 
erence to local improvements and every- 
thing involving the comfort, convenience 
and enduring welfare of the people of 
the locality in which he lives. His relig- 
ious affiliation is with the Christian 
church. Of the Judge's legal attain- 
ments, course on the bench, judicial tem- 
perament, or other qualifications for the 
high office he fills, it is not for the pres- 
ent biographer to speak. They are writ- 
ten in enduring jjhrase in the records of 
his court, the decisions he has rendered, 
and the general and high estimation in 
which he is held as a jurist all over the 
state of Missouri and those that are ad- 
jacent to it. There is tribute to his at- 
tainments, also, in the fact that he has 
been the choice of the people for a higher 



412 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



position on the bench after having given 
them apiireciated service in a lower one, 
and that his popularity at home and re- 
nown abroad in the exalted station he 
fills increases and intensifies as the years 
pass and add their testimony in favor 
of his excellence as a judge, his useful- 
ness as a citizen and his worth as a man. 

ALONZO L. GRISWOLD. 

Making his struggle for advancement 
in life in several different occupations — 
agricultural, mechanical and mercantile 
— Alonzo L. Griswold, one of the leading 
merchants of Clarence, in this county, 
has been successful in all, aud his prog- 
ress has been steady and continued. He 
has enterprise and perseverance, and 
through his varied experience has ac- 
quired a good knowledge of the world 
and of human nature in its manj^ forms 
of development and activity. And he is 
industrious in the application of his 
knowledge to his business, adapting him- 
self to the tastes and requirements of his 
patrons with a zealous determination to 
meet their wants and satisfy their 
wishes. 

Mr. Griswold was born in Aberdeen, 
Indiana, on February 18, 1863, and came 
to Missouri with his parents when he 
was but five years old. He is a son of 
Washington E. and Louisa (Larue) Gris- 
wold, the former born in Trumbull 
county, Ohio, on June 4, 1828, and the 
latter a native of Baton Rouge, Louis- 
iana. Their marriage occurred in 1851 
and the.y were the parents of nine chil- 
dren, eight of whom are living: William 
E., a resident of Clarence, Missouri; 
Ida, the wife of Dr. J. D. McNeely, of 



Sun). Iowa; Clarence T., who has his 
hcmie in Clarence, this county; Charles 
W., also a resident of Clarence ; Emma, 
the wife of John Thorne, of Sumner, 
Missouri; Abbie, the wife of E. W. 
Black, of Chillicothe, Missouri, and 
Harry A., a prosperous citizen of Colo- 
rado Springs, Colorado, in addition to 
Alonzo L., the subject of this brief re- 
view, who is sixth in order of birth of 
the eight living children of the household. 

In early life the father moved from his 
native state to Aberdeen, Indiana, and 
in 1868 brought his family to Missouri, 
locating at Clarence, in this county. He 
worked at liis trade of blacksmithing all 
of his mature life imtil about twenty 
years before his death, when he retired 
from active work. He died on Januarj' 
6, 1906. He was a Republican in polit- 
ical faith and activity, and devoted to 
the success and genei-al welfare of his 
party. In fraternal relations he was for 
many years actively and prominently 
connected with the Masonic order, and 
when he died was buried by his lodge ac- 
cording to the ritual of the order. His 
religious connection was with the Pres- 
byterian church. 

Alonzo L. Griswold obtained a district 
school education in Clarence, and after 
leaving school engaged in farming until 
1882. During the next six years he and 
his brother, Clarence T. Griswold, con- 
ducted a flourishing blacksmithing busi- 
ness in partnership. Tiring of this line 
of work, he abandoned it in 1888, and 
became a clerk in the dry goods and 
clothing store of Marvin Dimmitt, in 
Clarence. He was employed in the store 
in the capacity of clerk and salesman for 
six years, and at the end of that period 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTS 



413 



became the manager of the 1)usiness, Mr. 
Dimmitt retiring in 1895. He has since 
carried it on nnder the name and style 
of A. L. Griswold & Co., and has made 
it one of the leaders in its line in this 
part of the state. His store is a very 
popular one and he has the confidence of 
the people as to his business methods 
and meets the requirements of the com- 
munity by the extent, variety and com- 
prehensiveness of his stock. 

Mr. Griswold was married on April 3, 
1895, to Miss Margaret E. Carruthers, 
of Shelby county, Missouri. They have 
had seven children, five of wliom are 
living: Clarence A., Ernest F., Gladys 
M., Warren R. and Ellen L.,all of whom 
are still members of the x^arental family 
circle. The father is a Republican in 
politics and a ilodern Woodman of the 
World in fraternal life. He stands well 
as a merchant, is influential and promi- 
nent as a citizen, and is held in the high- 
est esteem as a man. 

JAMES A. HAMILTON. 

Farmer, miller and merchant, James 
A. Hamilton, of Clarence, in this county, 
has, during all of the last twenty-eight 
years, contributed essentially and sub- 
stantially to the progress and develop- 
ment of Shelby county and the enduring 
welfare of its people. He is not a native 
of the county, but has lived so long and 
so serviceably among its people, that, to 
all intents and purposes he is practically 
a Shelby countian, being thoroughly im- 
bued with the spirit and aspirations of 
its citizens and zealous and effective in 
helping to carry them to their highest 
and best development. 



Mr. Hamilton was born in ]\Ionroe 
county, Missouri, on May 24, 1854, and 
is a grandson of Walter Hamilton, a na- 
tive of Marion county, Kentucky, where 
Clement A. Hamilton, the father of 
James A., also was born, his life begin- 
ning there in 1824. He came to Missouri 
in 1851 and took up his residence in Mon- 
roe county. There be was engaged ex- 
tensively and continuously in farming 
and general stock raising until 1888, 
when he retired from active pursuits and 
moved to Clarence, where he passed the 
remainder of his days, dying in Novem- 
ber, 1900. He was very successful in all 
his undertakings, at one time owning and 
farming 500 acres of land. 

He was married in 1846 to Miss Susan 
Mary Brown, a native of Washington 
county, Kentucky. They became the pa- 
rents of eleven children, seven of whom 
are living : Susan Dorothy, the wife of J. 
0. Stribling, of Clarence, Missouri; 
James A., the subject of these i^ara- 
graphs ; Margaret Isabelle, the wife of 
J. T. Elliott, "of Monroe City; P. W., a 
resident of Monroe county, this state; 
Mary Ann, the widow of the late E. C. 
Patrick, of Clarence ; Hattie, the wife of 
AVilliam Lister, of Hunnewell, Missouri ; 
and C. A., a resident of Monroe City. 
The father was a Democrat in his poli- 
tics and a member of the Catholic church 
in his religious faith and allegiance. He 
was highly respected as a man and 
wielded considerable influence in the af- 
fairs of his localit}^ as a progressive and 
public spirited citizen. 

His son, James A. Hamilton, was edu- 
cated in the district schools of Monroe 
county, and after leaving school worked 
on the home farm with his father until 



414 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



his marriage. In 1882 he bought land 
in Shelby county, on which he engaged 
in farming and raising live stock until 
1891. He then sold his farm of 160 acres 
and accepted the position of manager of 
the Alliance flour mill at Shell)ina. In 
1893 he bought the mill in association 
with other men and continued to conduct 
its operation until 1901. In that year he 
sold his interest in it, but continued to 
live at Shelbina until 1904, when he 
moved to Clarence, and here he has ever 
since been actively engaged in the har- 
ness and road vehicle trade. He has 
been successful in all his undertakings 
and is one of the substantial and promi- 
nent citizens of the town in which he 
lives, active in promoting its progress 
and development and looking after the 
best interests of its people, and those of 
a large extent of the surrounding coun- 
try. He has always taken an earnest in- 
terest and an active part in the public 
affairs of the community of his home and 
been of very substantial service to the 
people. While living in Shelbina he 
served as alderman of the city, and much 
of its progress is due to his wise and ju- 
dicious care of everything involving the 
welfare of its people, both as a public 
official and a private citizen. 

Mr. Hamilton was married in 1879 to 
Miss Cecilia T. Worland, of Lakenan, 
Shelby county, Missouri. They have had 
four children, three of whom are living: 
John C, who resides in the state of Mon- 
tana; Margaret, the wife of E. C. Davis, 
of Brookfield, Missouri; and Winona, 
who is living at home with her parents. 
In politics the father is a Democrat, in 
fraternal relations a Modern AVoodman 



of America, and in religious affiliation a 
member of the Catholic church. 



HON. H. JEAXE SIMMONS. 

The Clarence Courier, ])ublished at 
Clarence in this county, is one of the 
bright, lively, up-to-date and progres- 
sive newspapers of our country which 
enjoys an unusual allotment of For- 
tune's favors. It is doubly endowed in 
its edit»rial department, combining 
therein the delicacj- and grace of woman 
with the strength and aggressiveness of 
man — the endearing arms of tenderness 
engirdled witli tlie steel bracelets of 
power. Its editorial staff includes Hon. 
H. Jeane Simmons, its owner and pub- 
lisher, and his accomplished wife, Mrs. 
Alice (Grant) Simmons, one of the most 
successful and pleasing literaiy ladies 
in this part of the country. It is to this 
duplex torch that this volume is indebted 
for the luminous, interesting and com- 
prehensive general liistory of Slielby 
county which sparkles on its pages. That 
attractive chronicle of the life, progress, 
aspirations and achievements of the peo- 
ple of the county is the joint product of 
Mr. and Mrs. Simmons, and it proclaims 
tlieir mastery of facts and the best meth- 
od of grouping and presenting them for 
the entertainment of the reader in every 
paragraph. But it must speak for itself, 
and it does so in a voice of no uncertain 
sound or meaning. 

Mr. Simmons represented Shelby 
county in the lower branch of the state 
legislature continuously fi'om 1900 to 
1908, and was again chosen as its repre- 
sentative in that body on November 8, 







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H. JEANE SIMMONS 



i 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



415 



1910. He was born in the village of 
Girard, Branch county, Michigan, on 
March 6, 1869, and is a son of Watson 
C. and Etta J. (Brown) Simmons. The 
father was a native of Erie connty, New 
York, where his life began on July 6, 
1841. He died in Monroe county, Mis- 
souri, on April 5, 1870, closing at the 
age of twenty-nine years a life of un- 
usual promise and ef considerable 
achievement, short as it was. 

During his boyhood his parents moved 
to Branch county, Michigan, and there 
he grew to manhood and obtained his 
education. On June 20, 1861, he heark- 
ened to one of the first calls for volun- 
teers for the defense of the Union and 
enlisted in Company E, Fourth Michi- 
gan Volunteer Infantry, in the federal 
army, for a term of three years. But he 
suffered in the service, and in April, 
1862, was discharged on account of disa- 
bility, receiving his release at George- 
town, Kentucky. He returned home and 
recuperated his health, and then, still 
fired with patriotic ardor, again enlisted 
in the Union army, this time becoming a 
member of Company H, Ninth Michigan 
Volunteer Infantry, and being enrolled 
in the City of Kalamazoo. Under his 
second enlistment he served to the close 
of the war, and was mustered out at 
Nashville, Tennessee, on September 15, 
1865. The next four years were passed 
by him in his native county. In 1869 
he moved his family to Monroe county in 
this state and engaged in fai'ming six 
miles south of Hunnewell. But he had 
not more tban fairly started his useful 
labors in this state before death ended 
them, and left his son Jeane an orphan 
aged thirteen months. 



The father was married on October 7, 
1863, to Miss Etta J. Brown, who is still 
living. They had two children, the im- 
mediate subject of this review, and his 
brother, Glenn C. Simmons, who is now 
a resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 
family had its origin in this country in 
the east, the grandparents of Mr. Sim- 
mons of this sketch being natives of the 
state of New York, and descended from 
families long resident in that part of the 
country. But they were versatile and 
could easih^ adapt themselves to circmn- 
stances. Although reared amid the cus- 
toms and trained to the ideals of the 
east they met all the requirements of 
the west and prospered on its soil and 
were esteemed by its people. The same 
adaptability to requirements distin- 
guishes the present representatives of 
the family, and has enabled them to do 
well wherever they have found them- 
selves and in whatever they have under- 
taken. 

The mother of Hon. H. Jeane Simmons 
married again after the death of his 
father, and during the childhood of her 
two sons became a resident of Shelby 
eountj'^, locating on a farm three miles 
south of Clarence. Here Mr. Simmons 
passed his boyhood and youth in the pur- 
suits and experiences customary in this 
region. The family moved to Clarence 
in 1875 and here he began his scholastic 
training in the public schools and com- 
pleted it at the college in Glasgow, How- 
ard county, from which he was grad- 
uated, after a four years' course of 
study, in 1889. After receiving his col- 
lege degree he followed teacliing school 
one year, then entered the employ of the 
Missouri Lumber & Mining Company, 



4!;; 



HISTUKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



with which he remained a year. Follow- 
iug that eugagemeut he was variously 
oceuijied until June of 1894, when he 
purcha'sed The Clarence Courier, which 
he has edited and iniblished ever since. 
From 1901 to 1910 he was assisted in 
publisliing the paper by his brother-in- 
law, Edward B. Grant, whose connec- 
tion with the Courier was severed by his 
death in July of the year last mentioned. 
In politics Mr. Simmons has been a 
life-long Democrat. He has 'been very 
energetic and effective in the service of 
his party, and has risen to commanding 
intluence and leadership in its councils, 
both in Shelby county and the state at 
large. He served as mayor of Clarence 
from 1895 to 1899, and as city clerk for 
two terms previous to his first election 
as mayor. In 1900 he was elected to the 
state house of representatives, and so 
satisfactory were his services in that as- 
semblage that he was re-elected in 1902, 
and again in 1904 and 1906. He was 
chosen for a fifth term in the fall elec- 
tion of 1910. He was also a candidate 
for the office of lieutenant governor in 
the fall of 1908, but was defeated for the 
nomination by a small majority in the 
primary election. During his service 
in the house of representatives he has 
seWed as chairman of the committees on 
Life Insurance and "Ways and Means, 
and as a member of the committee on 
Eailroads and Internal Improvements, 
and several others of leading impor- 
tance. He was also a member of the com- 
mission appointed to make arrangements 
for the centennial celebration of the 
Louisiana Purchase by a world's fair in 
St. Louis. 



In the session of 1907, ^Ir. Simmons 
introduced and secured the passage of 
the two cent railroad fare law, which 
is now being te.sted as to its constitu- 
tionality in the Supreme Court of the 
United States. He was also the father 
of the law providing for the choice of 
United States senators at ]irimary elec- 
tions, the law regulating the taxation of 
franchises and the compulsory education 
law. In 1903, Governor Dockery ap- 
l>oinled him a member of the commission 
to audit the books of all state officials, 
and in 1907 he was chairman of the com- 
mittee which was appointed to refurnish 
the legislative halls and other rooms in 
the state capitol. 

On May 23, 1894, Mr. Simmons united 
in marriage with Miss Alice Grant, a 
daughter of William and Mary A. (Moul- 
ton) Grant, the former a native of Eng- 
land and the latter of the province of 
Ontario, Canada. They located in ^Ion- 
roe county, Missouri, in 1869, and in 
1879 moved to Shelbina, where the father 
died in 1893. The mother is now living 
at Clarence, '^h. and Mrs. Simmons 
have had two children, their daughters, 
Alice Jean and Annette, the former of 
whom died at the age of eighteen months. 
Annette is still living at home with her 
parents. 

Mrs. Simmons, who has won renown 
by her versatile and graceful pen, and is 
one of the distinguished literary lights 
of Missouri, was educated in the schools 
of Shelbina, l)eing graduated from the 
high scliool in 1888. For three years she 
taught schools at different places in 
Shelby county, and during another pe- 
riod of equal length was principal of the 



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MRS. H. J. SIMMONS 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



417 



Intermediate department of the Sliel- 
bina schools. Her whole life has been 
passed in touch with literature, of which 
she has been a diligent and discriminat- 
ing student, and she has its best spirit 
of productiveness largely developed in 
her nature. She has for years been a 
valued contributor to the Women's de- 
partment of a number of the papers in 
this state, and is now held in high esteem 
as a writer for several ladies' journals 
in different parts of the country. While 
her husband was absent from the city 
during the first three terms of his ser- 
vice, she successfully edited The Clar- 
ence Courier, and neither its influence 
nor its force diminished while it was un- 
der her control. Her reputation as a 
newspaper writer of brilliancy, power 
I and directness is coextensive with the 
state and extends far beyond its borders. 
She assisted largely in the compilation 
of the general history of Shelby county 
that is published in this work. 

Mr. and Mrs. Simmons are members 
of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
South, and both are active in all the 
good work of the congregation to which 
they belong. Mr. Simmons is chairman 
of its board of stewards and superin- 
tendent of its Sunday school. He was 
also chairman of the building committee 
during the erection of the church edifice 
now occupied by the congregation. Fra- 
ternally he is allied with the Masonic 
order, the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. 
Shelby county has no citizens more es- 
timable than these, and none whom the 
people of all classes respect more highly 
or regard with more genuine and well 
merited pride and esteem. 



J. SIDNER SMITH. 

Having passed the three score years 
and ten allowed by the sacred writer as 
the ordinary span of a complete life and 
during more than fifty of the period hav- 
ing toiled faithfully and effectively in 
advancing his fortunes and promoting 
the welfare of the region of his activities, 
J. Sidner Smith, of Clarence, is now liv- 
ing retired from active pursuits and en- 
joying the rest he has so richly earned 
and the fruits of the labors he so faith- 
fully performed during the heat and bur- 
den of his day. He is a t\ne representa- 
tive of the best and most useful Shelby 
county citizenship, and as such is univer- 
sally esteemed by the people of the 
county. 

Mr. Smith was born in Monroe county, 
Missouri, on October 7, 1839, and is a son 
of Thornton and Ann (Siduer) Smith, 
the former born in Bourbon county, Ken- 
tucky, on July 12, 1809, and the latter a 
native of Fayette county in the same 
state. They were married on November 
19, 1829, and became residents of Mis- 
souri in 1835, locating in Monroe county, 
north of Paris. There the father was ac- 
tivelj^ and successfully engaged in farm- 
ing and raising live stock until his death, 
which occurred in 1878. 

He and his wife were the parents of 
eleven children, seven of whom are liv- 
ing: Nancy J., the wife of Sam Baker, a 
resident of Clarence ; J. Sidner, also liv- 
ing in Clarence; Fannie, the wife of 
John Williamson; Emma, the wife of 
Henry Glasscock, of Monroe county, Mis- 
souri; John T., who also lives in Monroe 
county; M. C, whose home is in Shelby 
county; and Robert C, a resident of the 



418 



HISTOUY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



state of AVashington. In politics the 
father was a lirm aud faithful member 
of the Democratic party. In fraternal 
relations he was long connected with the 
Masonic order and in religious allegiance 
was attached to the Christian church. 

Jacob Sidner Smith obtained his edu- 
cation in the district schools of Monroe 
county and when he left school went to 
work on his father's farm, on which he 
had been reared and had learned the art 
to which he has ever since been devoted. 
He did not remain at home long, how- 
ever, but after working with and for his 
father a short time, went to Kentucky, 
the home of his ancestors, where he re- 
mained a few years, and where he was 
united in marriage on December 20, 1860, 
with Miss Sarah E. Houston, of New- 
town, Scott county, in that state. He re- 
turned to Missouri with his bride in 1861, 
and located in Shelby county, and here 
he was energetically and profitably en- 
gaged in farming and raising live stock 
imtil 1908, when he retired from active 
pursuits and moved to Clarence. He has 
240 acres of fine land, all under cultiva- 
tion, and its products yield him a very 
comfortable living. 

Mr. Smith and his wife have had 
twelve children, eleven of whom are liv- 
ing : Virginia Ella, the wife of J. F. La- 
riek, of this county; Mary Addie, the 
wife of P. P. Barton, of Kansas City, 
Missouri; Eobert K., who also lives in 
Shelby county ; Annie Fletcher, the wife 
of J. W. Brewer, of Kansas City, Mis- 
souri; Emina Susan, the wife of F. S. 
Barton, of Shelby county ; Abner G., who 
resides at Liberty, Missouri; Nora 
Agnes, the wife of D. M. Butner, of this 
count}'; Leslie G., also residing in this 



county; Fannie Kate, the wife of "Wil- 
liam Cross, another resident of Shelby 
county; Sallie H., the wife of Edward 
Savage, of Kansas City, Missouri; and 
Emmett S., of Shelby county. 

In his political faith and allegiance the 
father trains with the Democratic party 
and is zealous of its service, although 
asking nothing from it for himself. From 
his youth he has provided for himself 
without outside aid or any of Fortune's 
favors, and he has so faithfully per- 
formed his duties in all relations that 
everybody who knows him thinks and 
speaks well of him. 

LEWIS J. PETER MAN. 

The ordinary observer and the super- 
ficial judge of affairs measures success 
in life among men by results. The 
deeper thinker and more judicious an- 
alyst of men and events measures it ac- 
cording to the direction in which a man 
moves, being convinced that the only 
real success is to work in the right direc- 
tion, whatever tlie results may be. Tried 
by either standard Lewis J. Peterman, 
a retired merchant and farmer of Shelby 
county, now living in ease and comfort 
in Clarence, has l)een a successful man. 
The results he has achieved "are grati- 
fying in magnitude and character, and 
he has always expended his efforts in the 
direction of not only enlarging his own 
worldly estate, but as well in promoting 
to the best of his ability the welfare of 
his community and tJie good of the peo- 
ple among whom he has lived. 

Mr. Peterman was born in St. Joseph, 
Michigan, on April 28, 1861. He is a 
grandson of Jacob Peterman, a native 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



419 



of Pennsylvania, and a son of Jacob and 
Elizabeth (Shale) Peterman, natives of 
England. The father was born on De- 
cember 10, 1819, in Westmoreland 
county, and when he was about twenty- 
five years of age moved to Michigan, 
where he was actively and successfully 
engaged in farming until April, 1869, 
when he moved to Missouri and located 
in Shelby coimty. He purchased 200 
acres of good land one mile east of En- 
terprise, and on that fruitful and re- 
sponsive farm he expended his efforts 
successfully and profitably until 1880, 
when he retired and moved to Clarence. 
But he was not destined to enjoy long 
the rest for which he longed and which 
he sought by his retirement from active 
pursuits. He died in April, 1880, a few 
days after his removal to the city. In 
early life he was a carpenter, but the 
greater part of his time on earth, after 
reaching maturity, was passed in farm- 
ing. 

He was married in 1842 to Miss Eliz- 
abeth Shale, native of England, as has 
been noted, and by this union became 
the father of nine children, five of whom 
are living: Frankie, the wife of W. M. 
Davis, of San Diego, California; Wil- 
liam, a resident of New York City; 
Addie, the wife of Thomas Freeman, of 
St. Clair county, Missouri ; Charles and 
liCwis J., residents of this county. In 
politics the father followed faithfully the 
fortunes of the Republican party, and in 
religious affiliation he was actively con- 
nected with the Methodist Episcopal 
church. 

Lewis .]. Peterman obtained his edu- 
cation in the district schools of Shelby 
county, and when he left school to begin 



the battle of life, worked on the old home- 
stead until 1884, passing one year (1880) 
or the greater part of it, in Clarence 
with his mother, just after the death of 
his father. In 1884 he moved to Oregon, 
where he was engaged in ranching three 
years. At the end of that period he sold 
his ranch and changed his residence to 
Tulare county, California, and there he 
followed buying and shipping fruit with 
moderate success until 1895. He then re- 
turned to Clarence, Missouri, and during 
the next two years carried on a lively 
trade in boots and shoes, and for the lat- 
ter portion of the time, also in gents' fur- 
nishings. But his health began to give 
way under the close confinement of the 
store, and in 1897 he sold his business in 
the mercantile line and returned to farm- 
ing on 160 acres five miles south of Clar- 
ence. He retired from the farm, how- 
ever, within a short time and took up his 
residence in Clarence, where he has ever 
since been living in ease and freedom 
from toil. He retains his farm and em- 
ploj's the revenues from it in comfort- 
able living, the land being in charge of a 
tenant, who farms it largely under his. 
supervision and direction. 

Mr. Peterman was first married on 
June 24, 1885, to Miss Stella Gorby, of 
Shelby county, Missouri, and by this 
marriage became the father of two chil- 
dren, Itoth of whom are deceased. Their 
mother died on December 20, 1891, and 
on December 28, 1897, the father con- 
tracted a second marriage, being imited 
on this occasion with Miss Emma Whiles, 
of Macon county, Missouri. They have 
one child, their son William Lewis, who 
is living at home with thorn. In political 
affairs the father adheres with fidelity to 



420 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



the Eepublican party, and he is at all 
times zealous and effective in its service, 
but never seeks any of its positions of 
honor or profit for himself. His fratei-- 
nal affiliation is with the orders of Mod- 
ern Woodmen of America and the I. 0. 
0. F., and in religious matters he is con- 
nected with the Methodist Episcopal 
church. He has won a competence for 
life by his industry, enterprise and good 
management, and holds a high place in 
public estimation because of his useful- 
ness as a citizen and his worth and ex- 
cellence as a man. 

THOMAS A. BEAN. 

This highly esteemed citizen of Clar- 
ence, wlio is now living in ease and com- 
fort in his attractive home, retired from 
active pursuits after many years of toil 
and trial, is a native of Bucks county, 
Pennsylvania, where he was born on 
November 4, 1836. He is of Irish ances- 
try, both his father and his mother hav- 
ing been natives of the Emerald Isle. 
The father, "William "Warren Bean, was 
born in Dublin, Ireland, and came to the 
United States in 1833. He located in 
Bucks county, Pennsjdvania, at that time 
one of the most progressive and prosper- 
ous sections of the country, and there he 
followed architecture and building, and 
in addition engaged extensively in farm- 
ing until 1843. 

In that year he sold all his interests in 
Bucks county and moved to Philadel- 
phia, where he carried on a large grocery 
business until his death in 1855. He was 
united in marriage with Miss Fannie 
Briton, like liimself born in Ireland, as 
has been stated, and by this marriage be- 



came the father of seven children, three 
of whom are living : Daniel, whose home 
is in Fresno, California ; Martha, the 
wife of George Bright of St. Louis, Mis- 
souri, and Thomas A. The father was a 
devout member of the Presbyterian 
church and took a great interest in the 
welfare of the congregation to which he 
belonged. His political faith was an- 
chored firmh^ to the principles of the 
Democratic party, and in the success of 
that organization he at all times mani- 
fested the most earnest interest. He was 
a veiy active worker for the good of the 
party and during his life spent a large 
amount of money in its behalf, although 
at no time desii'ous of holding any of the 
offices in its gift, either by election or 
appointment. 

Thomas A. Bean obtained his educa- 
tion in the district schools of his native 
county, and on leaving school in 1858 
came to Alissouri and located in Monroe 
county. There he worked on a number 
of different farms until 1862, when he 
moved to Shelby county. In this county 
he was continuously, energetically and 
profitably engaged in fanning and rais- 
ing live stock until 1901. He then sold 
his farm and retired from active work. 
He and his wife passed the next four 
years in visiting their children in Idaho, 
"Washington, and ]\lontana, and also vis- 
ited Oregon. Eeturning to Missouri in 
1905, he bought the home he now occu- 
pies in Clarence, and with his wife he 
has made this a center of refined and 
gracious hospitality and one of the pop- 
ular resorts of the city ever since. 

Mrs. Bean, whose maiden name was 
Sarah S. Meadows, was born on Decem- 
ber 25, 1837, and is a daughter of Ander- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



431 



son Meadows of this state. They were 
married on January 24, 1862, and their 
nnion resulted in the birth of eight chil- 
dren, seven of whom are living: Fannie 
L., the wife of J. L. Million of Maud in 
this county; Daniel 0., who resides in 
the state of Washington; James A., 
whose home is at Mullan, Idaho ; Samuel 
C, who is also a resident of Mullan, 
Idaho; Warren, who lives in this coun- 
ty ; William P. of Mullan, Idaho ; and 
Nora, the wife of W. W. Stohr of Plains, 
Montana. 

Mr. Bean, the father of these children, 
has been a life-long adherent of the Dem- 
ocratic party and one of the wheel horses 
of the organization in the locality of his 
home. He is active in its service without 
any personal interest to serve, as he nev- 
er desires an office of any kind for him- 
self. His fraternal relations are with the 
Ancient Order of United AVorkmen and 
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
and in religious affairs he leans to the 
Missionary Baptist church, of which his 
wife has long been a member, zealous in 
her devotion to its interest and energetic 
in its service. 

AVILLIAM F. HIRRLINGER. 

Beginning the battle of life for himself 
at an early age, and wholly' dependent on 
his own resources for advancement, Wil- 
liam F. Hirrlinger of Clarence, where he 
carries on a flourishing business as a 
fuiniture dealer and undertaker, real- 
ized that it was necessary for him to em- 
l^loy his every energy, all his time and 
all the business capacity he could sum- 
mon to succeed and make headway. He 
has acted on this conviction and made it 



tell greatly to his advantage, having be- 
come one of the men of material sub- 
stance in his community and risen to 
high standing as a man, a merchant and 
a citizen among its people. 

Mr. Hirrlinger was born on December 
26, 1877, in Shelby county, Missouri, and 
obtained his education in its district 
schools and at the high school in Clar- 
ence. After leaving school at the age of 
eighteen, he at once began a mercantile 
career as a dealer in buggies and imple- 
ments. He continued his operations in 
these lines two years, then, in 1897, sold 
his business in them and transferred his 
energies and attention to the furniture 
trade and undertaking. He has been ac- 
tively engaged in these departments of 
mercantile life ever since, with the ex- 
ception of two years, during which he 
was on the road for F. C. Biddle & Bros., 
handling coffins and other undertakers' 
supplies. AVhile he was engaged in the 
furniture and undertaking business he 
was also associated with M. H. Lewis in 
the hardware trade. He has been very 
successful, now owning business and 
residence property of value, and holding 
other interests which are of consequence 
and remunerative, and all his acquisi- 
tions are the result of his own persever- 
ing industry, alertness to see and seize 
his opportunities, and good management 
in making the most of them. 

Mr. Hirrlinger was united in marriage 
with Miss Emma A. McCarty of this 
county in 1900. They have two children, 
their sons, Charles and Hai'old, both of 
whom are living at home, and brighten- 
ing the family fireside with their pres- 
ence. In political relations the father is 
a firm and faithful member of the Dem- 



432 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



ocratic party, in whose affairs he shows 
an earnest interest and takes an active 
part, rendering his party good service in 
all its campaigns, although seeking none 
of its official favors for himself. 

As an active and devoted member of 
the Masonic order and the order of 
Knights of Pythias, he has for years been 
zealous and energetic in the fraternal 
life of the community; and as a com- 
municant of the Southern Methodist 
Episcopal cliurch he has contributed es- 
sentialh' and substantially to the moral 
and spiritual welfare of the section in 
which he lives. He has also done a good 
citizen's part toward promoting the 
material welfare and progi-ess of his lo- 
cality, supporting with ardor and prac- 
tical sei'vice every worthy undertaking 
in which the lasting good of his township 
and county has been involved, or where- 
by the comfort and convenience of its 
people could be enlarged and advanced. 
He is esteemed as one of the best citi- 
zens of his home town, and is widely and 
favorably known throughout the county 
and a large extent of the surrounding 
country. 

GEORGE T. GILMAN. 

The scion of old New England families 
and inheriting their traits of ingenuity, 
thrift and readiness for every emer- 
gency, George T. Gilman, one of the re- 
spected and influential citizens of Clar- 
ence, has known how to promote his own 
interests under all circumstances and has 
also been potential in furthering the wel- 
fare of the community of his home and 
promoting the best interests of its people. 

Mr. Gilman is a native of Piscataquis 



county, Maine, where he was born on 
November 29, 1858. His grandfather, 
James Gilman, was a native of New 
Hampshire, and his son, George "W. Gil- 
man, the father of George T., was born 
in Somerset county, Maine, on August 
24, 1828. In his earh' manhood the 
father was proprietor of hotels in Maine 
and California for a number of years. 
He came to Missouri in 1868 and settled 
on a farm three miles southeast of Clar- 
ence, on which he was energetical!}', pro- 
gressively and profitably engaged in 
farming and raising live stock until 1897. 
He then moved to Clarence, and during 
the rest of his life enjoyed the peaceful 
existence of a well-to-do retired farmer, 
highly esteemed by his fellow citizens 
and in all respects worthy of the regard 
and good will they bestowed upon him. 

In 1900 he made a trip to his old home 
in the far East to visit the scenes of his 
early life and his relatives in that part 
of the country, and while there died at 
Foxcroft, Maine, on June 8 of that year. 
It was in Foxcroft, also, that he was 
married, being united there in 1855 with 
]\[iss Martha Thomjison, of that town. 
They became the parents of two children, 
both of whom are living : George T. and 
his older sister Abbie, the wife of C. F. 
Osgood, of Garland, Maine. In politics 
the father was a Republican of pro- 
nounced convictions and faithful party 
service, and in fraternal relations was 
connected with the order of Odd Fellows. 

George T. Gilman did not accom])any 
his father to the Pacific coast, but re- 
mained in the home of his ancestors and 
grew to the age of sixteen there. He was 
educated in the district schools of his na- 
tive county and at an excellent academy 




Dr. JOHN M. McCULLY 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



433 



in Foxcroft, in that oonnty. Upon the 
completion of his education in 1874 he 
came to Missouri and joined liis father, 
who had lieen here in Shelby county for 
six years before his arrival. He worked 
with his father on the farm and in the 
live stock industry conducted on it until 
the father retired in 1897, when he took 
practical charge of the business. But 
about the same time he, also, moved to 
Clarence, putting the farm of 400 acres 
out to be farmed on shares, as it has 
been ever since, he still retaining the 
ownership and superintending the farm- 
ing operations. 

On January 24, 1889, Mr. Gilman was 
married to Miss Ella M. Chinn, a daugh- 
ter of George W. and Maria (Abington) 
Chinn, and a resident of Clarence at the 
time of the marriage. They have one 
child, their daughter, Abbie L., who is 
living at home with her parents. The 
father, like his father, but as a matter of 
firm conviction for himself, has been a 
life-long Republican in political faith and 
activity, and, like his father, also, has 
rendered his party energetic and effec- 
tive support without political ambition 
or aspirations to public office. His fra- 
ternal connection is with the Masonic or- 
der. He is a friend to all good angencies 
at work among the people of his com- 
munity, and helps to sujiport all without 
regard to sect or partisan considera- 
tions. He is universally regarded as one 
of the most active and helpful citizens 
of Clarence and Shelby county, and is al- 
ways reliably numbered among their 
most progressive and representative 
men. 

In January, 1911, Mr. Gilman pur- 
chased the interest of E. C. Shain in the 



Shelby County State Bank of Clarence 
and was elected president of the same to 
succeed Mr. Shain. Mr. Gilman is a gen- 
tleman of wide business experience and 
enjoys the confidence of the people of 
the entire county. 

JOHN M. McCULLY, M. D. 

Dr. McCuUy, who is engaged in the 
successful practice of his profession at 
Clarence, is recognized as one of the able 
and representative physicians and sur- 
geons of Shelby county, and in view of 
this fact he is well entitled to considera- 
tion in this compilation, which has to do 
with the history of the county and its 
people. He is a scion of one of the hon- 
ored pioneer families of Missouri, 
where his grandfather, John McCully, a 
native of Tennessee, took up his abode 
in an early day, becoming one of the 
sterling pioneers of Randolph county, 
where he passed the residue of his life 
and where he followed agricultural pur- 
suits. 

Dr. MeCully was born in Randolph 
county, this state, on May 8, 1851, and is 
a son of William and Frances C. (Yates) 
McCully. William McCully was born in 
Randolph county, Missouri, on June 4, 
1828, and was there reared and educated. 
He was identified with the great basic in- 
dustry of agriculture throughout his en- 
tire active career and in this connection 
he so ordered his efforts as to gain a gen- 
erous measure of success, becoming one 
of the substantial citizens of Shelby coun- 
ty, whither he removed from Randolph 
county in the year 1860 and where his 
death occurred in the year 1901. He left 
an estate whose valuation was conserva- 



424 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



tively placed at fully thirty thousand 
dollars, and at the time of his demise he 
was the owner of more than eight hun- 
dred acres of valuable land. He was 
pi'ominent and influential in public af- 
fairs in his community and for many 
years held the office of school director in 
his district. His fine old homestead, 
where his death occurred, is located in 
Taylor townshi]), this county. In poli- 
tics he was a zealous and efficient advo- 
cate of the principles and policies for 
which the Democratic party stands spon- 
sor. He was a man of probity and honor 
and ever held the implicit confidence and 
esteem of those with whom he came in 
contact in the various relations of life. 
On March 28, 1850, he was united in mai-- 
riage to- Miss Frances C. Yates, who was 
born in Kentucky and reared in Ran- 
dolph county, this state, and whose death 
occurred on April 1, 1891. She was a de- 
voted member of the Cumberland Pres- 
byterian church and was a woman 
whose gentle and gracious attributes 
of character endeared her to all 
who came within the sphere of her 
influence. Of this marriage seven 
children were born and of the number 
the subject of this review is the eldest. 
"William C. is a successful farmer of 
Shelby count}', Sarah C. is the wife of 
James W. Collins, of Macon coimty; 
Georgia E. is the wife of William E. Mc- 
Cully, of Macon, this state; Mary E. is 
the wife of John II. Hudson, of Cherry 
Box, Shelby county ; Thomas M. is a suc- 
cessful physician and surgeon and is en- 
gaged in practice at Novelty, Knox- 
county, and Lucy V. is the wife of 
Charles H. Sterling, of Cherry Box. 
On November 21, 1893, William Mc- 



Cully married Mrs. Mary E. Vandiver, 
who survives him. 

Dr. John M. McCully passed his boy- 
hood and youth on the home farm and 
was a lad of nine years at the time of the 
family removal to Shelby county, where 
he was reared to maturity and where he 
received his early scholastic training in 
the district schools of Taylor township. 
Thereafter he continued his academic 
studies in Mount Pleasant College, at 
Huntsville, this state, in which well or- 
dered institution he completed the full 
four years' course and was graduated 
as a member of the class of 1871, with 
the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Soon 
afterward he began the study of medi- 
cine under the effective preceptorship 
of Dr. Luther Turner, of Cherry Box, 
this state, and in 1873, after the comple- 
tion of the prescri])ed three years' course, 
he was graduated in the St. Louis 
Medical College, from which he received 
his well earned degree of Doctor of Med- 
icine, and from which he came forth ad- 
mirably equip]ied and fortified for the 
active work of his exacting profession. 
He initiated his professional practice 
at Sue City, Macon county, this slate, 
where he remained for a period of nine 
years, at the expiration of which, in 1882, 
he removed to Shelbina, Shelby county, 
where he devoted his attention to pro- 
fessional work for a short period, and 
then, in May, 1883, imrchasod the plant 
and business of the Shelbina Index, of 
which weekly paper he continued as edi- 
tor and publisher for two years, being 
successful in the journalistic field. In 
1885 he disposed of the paper and busi- 
ness and the ])ublication of the same is 
now continued under the title of the 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



425 



Slielbiua Torchlight. After retiriug 
from the iiews^japer field Dr. ]McCully 
engaged in the drug business in Shel- 
bina, continuing this enterprise, together 
with the practice of his profession, for 
twelve years. He then sold his drug 
business and shortly afterward he ef- 
fected, in 1896, the organization of the 
Shelby County Telephone Company, his 
interest in which he later sold to other 
citizens of Shelbina. During the six 
years of his active identification with the 
telephone business the doctor was presi- 
dent and general manager of the com- 
pany which he thus organized and he 
developed its business along most effect- 
ive and successful lines. He also has the 
distinction of having been a pioneer in 
the development of the independent tele- 
phone business in the United States. 

In 1903 Dr. McCully removed to Clar- 
ence, where he established McCully 's 
pharmacy, which he has since conducted 
with ever-increasing success, while he 
still gives no little attention to the prac- 
tice of his profession. He is identified 
with the Missouri State Medical Society 
and the Shelby County Medical Society, 
and is held in high esteem both as a phy- 
sician and as a progressive and ])ublic 
spirited business man of unqualified 
civic loyalty and optimism. He is a 
stockholder in the Clarence Savings 
Bank, is a staunch Democrat in his polit- 
ical allegiance, is aililiated with the In- 
dependent Order of Odd Fellows. His 
wife is a member of the Southern M. E. 
church. He was president of the board 
of education at Shelbina for nine years 
and was largely instrumental in provid- 
ing for the erection of the fine new 
school building in that place. 



On September 18, 1873, Dr. Mc- 
Cully was united in marriage to Miss 
Martha Alice Kawlings, who was born in 
Tiger Fork, Shelby county, on Oc- 
tober 11, 1851, and who is a daughter 
of the late William H. Rawlings, one of 
the representative citizens of this coun- 
ty. Dr. and Mrs. McCvdly became the 
parents of three children, of whom two 
are living, Aubrey M., who resides in 
Shelbina, and Glessner. Dr. and Mrs. 
McCully are prominent and popular in 
connection with the social activities of 
their home town and their attractive resi- 
dence is a recognized center of gracious 
hospitality. 

JAMES F. CBOW. 

One of the most successful among the 
farmers, merchants and manufacturers 
of Scotland and Shelby counties of this 
state and widely and favorably known 
throughout northeastern Missouri as a 
public spirited and enterprising citizen, 
whose energies and resources were al- 
ways available for the service of his lo- 
cality and its j^eople, James F. Crow, of 
Shelbina, had won his way to the conse- 
quence and influence and the business 
prosperity for which he was distin- 
guished by his own efforts and inborn 
capacity. 

Mr. Crow was a native of Scotland 
county, this state, born on March 2, 1846. 
He was a grandson of John Crow, a na- 
tive of Kentucky, and a son of Jacob and 
Agnes (Fifer) Crow, the former born 
near Perryville, Boyle county, Kentucky, 
and the latter in Augusta county, Vir- 
ginia. The father came to Missouri at 
an earlv dav and located in Boone coun- 



426 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



ty with lii« parents. The family soon 
afterward moved to Pike county, and 
there he was educated in the district 
schools and began his life work as a 
farmer and stock man on his father's 
farm. He remained with his parents, 
helping them on the farm and assisting 
the family for a number of years after 
attaining his majority, and then moved 
to Scotland county, near Memphis, while 
yet the nomadic aborigines infested the 
region and sometimes became trouble- 
some, although in the main they were not 
unfriendly to the white invaders of their 
ancestral range and aboriginal rights. 
There he became an extensive and 
enterprising farmer, and also raised 
live stock and traded in it on a 
large scale until 1865, when he re- 
moved to Monroe county and resided 
there with his family until his death, 
which occurred on December 12, 1899. 

He was also a builder and put up the 
tirst jail erected in Scotland county, and 
took a great and very serviceable inter- 
est in school affairs, working with ardor 
for the cause of public education and 
vastly augmenting the power and useful- 
ness of the institutions devoted to it in 
that county. More than this, he mani- 
fested a very earnest interest in every- 
thing involving the welfare of the region 
and the advancement of its people, and 
never withheld the aid of his resourceful 
brain or ready and skillful hand from 
any worthy enterprise likely to promote 
them. At the time of his death he was 
possessed of about 600 acres of superior 
land and had it all under vigorous and 
productive cultivation. 

He was united in marriage with Miss 
Agnes Fifer and they became the parents 



of six children, two of whom are living: 
James F., who is the interesting subject 
of these paragraphs, died May 29, 1910; 
"William D., who resides in Kansas City, 
Missouri ; and Alice, the wife of John 
W. Gillispie. 

In political affairs and allegiance the 
father adhered to the Democratic party 
through life, and was a faithful worker 
for the success of the principles in which 
he believed. His religious connection 
was with the Cumberland Presbyterian 
church, and to this, also, he gave earnest 
and cordial support. 

James F. Crow obtained his education 
in the district schools of Scotland coun- 
ty and a graded school in Memphis, its 
present county seat. He remained on the 
]iareutal farm, working under the direc- 
tion of his father and assisting the fam- 
ily until 1891, but during a large part of 
the time was also engaged in farming 
and raising and trading in live stock on 
his own account. At the time of his leav- 
ing home he owned and cultivated 600 
acres of land of his own. In 1892 lie lo- 
cated in Shelbina, but continued his 
farming and stock industries, and in ad- 
dition carried on a flourishing and ex- 
tensive business as a dealer in farm 
lands. During the last seventeen years 
of his life he was continuously, profitably 
and extensively occupied in the milling 
industry, being conducted under the firm 
name of Crow & Co. Later it became 
Crow & Wlialey, and still later Crow & 
Co., and is now known as the Shelbina 
IMilling Comjiany. This, however, had 
not been Mr. Crow's first experience in 
the milling industry, for during 1885 and 
1886 he was interested in a mill at Clar- 
ence and also a lumber business at the 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



427 



same place. He was very successful in 
all his undertakings, making everything 
pay that he put his hand to, and showing 
his broad intelligeuoe, business acumen 
and masterly management in all. He 
owned 760 aci'es of land, which was 
farmed by tenants, and had considerable 
town property in addition. 

Mr. Crow was never married, but, al- 
though he had no family claims to impel 
him to action, he was, nevertheless, one 
of the most useful and progressive men 
in his community in all that pertains to 
the general welfare and the substantial 
and lasting good of the people. In polit- 
ical atifairs he was firmly attached to the 
Democratic party, and one of its most 
energetic working members. He never 
aspired to public station nor was willing 
to accept a political office of any kind, 
either by appointment or election. But 
no duty of citizenship was neglected by 
him, and all were performed with vigor, 
intelligence and an ardent desire to ad- 
vance the best interests of his county, 
state and country. He was regarded as 
one of Shelby county's best and most 
representative men, and was universally 
esteemed as such throughout the county 
and the whole of northeastern Missouri. 

MARTIN S. BUCKMAN. 

Of Kentucky ancestry and immediate 
parentage, and imbued with the spirit of 
enterprise and daring which laid the 
foundations of the great state in which 
his parents were born, and the breadth 
of view and progressiveness which have 
so largely aided in building the super- 
structure of the commonwealth, Martin 
S. Buckman, of Salt River township, in 



this county, has repeated in some meas- 
ure on the soil of Missouri the perform- 
ance of his progenitors in the blue grass 
region. True, he has not been called 
upon to face the dangers, endure the 
hardshiijs or engage in the large under- 
takings which were portions of the lot of 
his ancestors in the wilds of Kentucky 
in its frontier days, but whatever has 
come his way to do or endure he has con- 
fronted with a manly sjnrit and over- 
come by persistent and well directed 
energy, and has therefore met in his day 
the duty of life as faithfully as they did 
in theirs. 

Mr. Buckman was born in Monroe 
county, Missouri, on December 3, 1856, 
and came into life, therefore, after the 
frontier period had passed, although 
the country here was even then sparsely 
settled and very largely undeveloped. 
His grandfather, John R., and his father, 
Joseph R. Buckman, were natives of 
Kentucky, where the father was born on 
November 5, 181.3. He came to Missouri 
in the early days and located in Monroe 
county, where passed the remainder of 
his days busily engaged in farming and 
raising live stock and rearing to ma- 
turity, with the best instruction and ex- 
ample he could give them, his numerous 
offspring. He was a man of energy and 
determination, and was successful in his 
ventures, retiring in 1877 from larger 
operations to a farm of 2-10 acres in this 
county. 

He was married in 1838 to Miss 
Martha Simms, of the same nativity as 
himself, and by this marriage tliey be- 
came the parents of ten children, nine of 
whom are living: John G., whose home 
was in Monroe county, this state, died 



428 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



December 25, 1909; Benjamin, who re- 
sides in California ; Frank, who lives in 
Shelby covmty; ^fary A., the widow of 
the late George "\V. Drake, wliose present 
home is in Qnincy, Illinois ; Douglas, also 
a resident of Monroe county, Missouri; 
Martin S., the subject of this brief re- 
view ; Kate, the wife of Stephen Seward, 
of Monroe county; Elizabeth, who lives 
in this county; and George, who has his 
residence in the state of Nebraska. The 
father died in 1880. He was a Democrat 
in politics and a Catholic in religious 
faith and allegiance. He was twice mar- 
ried, his first wife having died in 1865. 
His second wife was Frances Fowler. 
George was born to the second marriage. 
His second wife died in 1872. 

His son, Martin S. Buckman, grew to 
manhood on his father's farm and ob- 
tained a limited education in the district 
schools of Monroe county. After leav- 
ing school he worked on the home farms 
in Monroe and Shelby counties with his 
father until 1880. Tlien, by the death of 
the father the conditions of the home 
were changed, and he bought a fanu of 
240 acres of his own in Shelby coimty. 
On this as a nucleus he has ever since 
been energetically and skillfully en- 
gaged in farming and raising live stock, 
increasing his land and his business as 
Fortune has smiled on his enterprise and 
ability, until he now owns about 1,000 
acres of good land and has it all imder 
cultivation and brought to a high state 
of improvement and productiveness. He 
also holds stock in the Commercial Bank 
of Shelbina and is one of its directors, 
besides being interested in other indus- 
tries of value. 

On .January 30, 1882, he was united in 



marriage with Miss Emma Simms, of 
Monroe county, Missouri. They bav« 
had eleven children, ten of whom are liv- 
ing: Olive, the wife of Loren Yates, of 
Monroe City; Lambert, Lillian, Alfred, 
Grigg, Julius, Benjamin, ^lary (de- 
ceased), Otis, Martha and Genevieve. In 
politics the father is a Democrat and in 
religion a Catholic. 

CHARLES N. SCHWIETERS. 

Thrown on his own resources at the 
early age of fourteen years, and at that 
age leaving his home to try his fortunes 
in a distant and strange land in which 
he had no relatives and few, if any, ac- 
quaintances, Charles N. Sehwieters, one 
of the substantial retired farmers and 
live stock men of Salt River township, 
Shelby county, has, in his subsequent 
career and achievements fully justified 
the faith of his friends and his own in 
his ability to take care of himself in a 
worldly way and make his own progress 
a certainty, and at the same time be of 
good service to any community which 
might have the benefit of his citizenship 
and good example of industry. 

Mr. Sehwieters was born in Prussia, 
Germany, on October 2, 184-8. His 
father, Casper, and his grandfather, 
Joseph Sehwieters, were natives of the 
Fatherland also, as was his mother, 
whose maiden name was ^lary Gayner, 
and in that great empire their forefath- 
ers had lived many generations before 
them. The father was born in 1813 and 
married to ]\Iiss Gayner in 1846. They 
became the parents of seven children, 
four of whom are living: Sophia, the 
wife of Christopher Kuehne, of Lentner, 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



439 



Missouri; Charles N., the interesting 
subject of this review; Clement, who re- 
sides in Los Angeles, California; and 
Barney, whose home is still in Germany. 
The father, Casper Schwieters, was a 
soldier in Germany and took an active 
part in the war of 1848 in that country, 
through the disastrous ending of which 
numbers of distinguished Germans be- 
came exiles from their native land. 

Charles N. Schwieters began his edu- 
cation in Germany and completed it in 
night schools in this country. At the 
age of fourteen he came to the United 
States, and under the persuasive allure- 
ments of the West, which were based on 
a solid foundation of real wealth of op- 
portunity, he left the Atlantic seaboard 
to those who found it satisfactory and 
himself hastened into the bustling ac- 
tivities and expanding hopes and pros- 
pects of the great Mississipjoi valley, lo- 
cating in Qnincy, Illinois, arriving in 
that city in 1863. 

His resources financially were very 
limited and it was necessary for, him to 
find employment at once. He soon found 
an engagement on implement and bridge 
work, on which he spent the hours of 
toil during the day, and with character- 
istic energ\' and foresight, attended 
school at night. He continued this ar- 
rangement until 1868, then moved to 
Warsaw, Illinois, where he worked in a 
woolen mill about two years. In 1870 
he came to Missouri and located near 
Lentner in this county, where he passed 
one year on a farm. But there was still 
a voice from the farther West within 
him, pleading for recognition, and in 
1871 he went to Colorado and in that 



state and Nevada he passed the next five 
years. 

He did not, however, find that section 
of the country as agreeable to him as 
this, and in 1877 he returned to Missouri 
and Shelby county, and located on a 
farm of eighty acres, which he occupied 
three years. The spirit of roving and 
adventure was not yet fully satisfied in 
him, and in 1880 he moved to Monroe 
county, and during the next ten years he 
was prosperously engaged in farming 
and raising live stock in that county. In 
1890 he once more became a resident of 
Shelby county, and this has, been his 
home ever since. He was industriously 
and skilfully engaged in farming here 
from that time until 1908, when he re- 
tired from active work and rented to 
his sons the 360 acres of fine land which 
he had acquired. 

In November, 1868, he was vmited in 
marriage with Miss Johanna Moessmer, 
who was born in Germany in 1848 and is 
a daughter of Charles and Clara 
(Dehner) Moessmer of that country. By 
this marriage he became the father of 
eleven children, nine of whom are liv- 
ing: Clement J., John C, Frederick W., 
Henry V., Frank, Louis N., Joseph, Wil- 
liam and Clara May. They are all resi- 
dents of Shelby county but Frank, who 
lives in Moni'oe county. Louis lives on 
the old homestead, and Joseph, William 
and Clara May are living at home with 
their parents. The father is a Repub- 
lican in politics, and ardently supports 
his political party in all its campaigns. 
He belongs to the Catholic church, and 
is devout and constant in his obedience 
to its teachings. 



430 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



A poor lioy with nothing but his own 
health, strength and unconqiierable 
spirit, and a friendless exile from his 
native land, at the age of fourteen; a 
man of large means and a highly re- 
sjiected citizen in the country of his 
adoption at sixty; this is his record, and 
it is creditable to our land of great re- 
sources and abundant opportunities. 
But it is far more to his credit, because 
it has been his native ability, fidelity to 
duty and determined industry and fru- 
gality which have wrought such gratify- 
ing results. Others, many of them, have 
had similar or equal ojjportunities, but 
he has taken advantage of liis and made 
the most of them. The people among 
whom he has lived, labored and suc- 
ceeded so well recognize his merit and 
esteem him accordingly as one of their 
best citizens. He also owns two tine 
residences in Shelbina. 

MOST. D. AYERS. 

Orphaned in his infancy, when he 
was little more than one year old, by 
the untimely death of his father at the 
early age of forty-four, and being one of 
eight children left for the mother to rear 
and educate, Mort. D. Ayers, now one 
of the prosperous, progressive and en- 
terprising farmers of Salt River town- 
ship in this county, was forced to begin 
the battle of life for himself at an eai'ly 
age, and for years after beginning it 
found the struggle an arduous and try- 
ing one. But he had the make-up of a 
man of merit and determination, and 
never lost faith in himself or his ability 
to win out in the contest, whatever its 
difficulties. 



Mr. Ayers was born at Bay City, 
Michigan, on ^hiy 30, 1867, and is a son 
of Wright and Clara (Wright) Ayers, 
natives of Massachusetts, where the 
father was born in 1824, and where they 
were married. They had eight children, 
only two of whom are now living, Mort. 
D. and his older sister, Mina, the wife 
of j\Ir. Middleton, of Allen, Michigan. 
The father was a carpenter and pros- 
pered at his trade, bidding fair to win a 
competence for himself and his family, 
when death ended his labors in 1868. 

After his death, about one year, tliat 
is, in 1869, the mother brought her off- 
si)ring to Missouri and located in Shel- 
bina. Here the son obtained a limited 
common school education, and as soon as 
he completed it immediately engaged in 
farming and raising live stock on a farm 
of 120 acres of land three miles east of 
Shelbina. The career as a farmer which 
he thus began he has continued to the 
present time, and in his efforts for ad- 
vancement has been successful, winning 
a comfortable estate through his persist- 
ent and .iudiciously applied industrj' and 
his frugality and good management. He 
is now one of the substantial and well- 
to-do farmers and stock men of his town- 
ship, and is also regarded as one of its 
most progressive and enterprising citi- 
zens in respect to all matters of public 
improvement. For he has taken a warm 
and lioli)ful interest in every worthy un- 
dertaking designed to advance the wel- 
fare of the locality of his home or pro- 
mote the good of its people. 

On July 2-t, 1887, Mr. Ayers was 
united in marriage with Miss Julia 
Nitsche, a daughter of Fred and Minnie 
(Miller) Nitsche, of Shelbina, where 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



431 



Mrs. Avers was born ou May 5, 1866. 
Four children have been born to the 
union, three of whom are living: Clara 
Lillian, the wife of James T. Greening, 
of this county, and Lee Frederick and 
Alberta, who are living at liome with 
their jiarents. As a member of the Ma- 
sonic order and the Order of Odd Fel- 
lows the father has taken a deep interest 
in the fraternal life of his community 
and contributed to the expansion of its 
usefulness and the strengtliening of its 
forces for good. He has sought nothing 
in the way of i:)olitical preferment, but 
has, nevertheless, taken a very active in- 
terest in local public affairs with a view 
to securing the best results for the gen- 
eral weal of the township and county of 
his home. No duty of citizenship lias 
been neglected by him, and all have been 
performed with zeal, fidelity and intel- 
ligence, and he is esteemed by his fellow 
men of the locality in accordance with 
his demonstrated worth and usefulness. 

GEORGE A. WRIGHT. 

This valued citizen and prosperous 
farmer and live stock man of Salt River 
township liegan life for himself with 
nothing and now has a comfortable com- 
petence, all of which he has acquired by 
his own thrift, persistent industry and 
excellent management. He knows what 
is required in the way of effort for ad- 
vancement where the competition is so 
keen and the avenues of progress are 
becoming so crowded, when a man has 
nothing to depend on but his own un- 
aided faculties, and he can therefore ap- 
preciate the endeavors of others situated 
as he was when he began the struggle. 



Mr. Wright was born in Lewis county, 
Missouri, on July 28, 1865, where his 
l^arents had located two years before. 
His father, also named George, was born 
in Canada in 1825 and is still living at 
the grand old age of eighty-five years, 
with a cousidei'able measure of his vigor 
still available. He is like some genial 
and fruitful year, passing to its close, 
doubtless, but with some of its warmth 
and beauty and usefulness still remain- 
ing. He came to the United States be- 
fore the Civil war and took up his resi- 
dence in Illinois, where he followed farm- 
ing two or three years. In 1863 he 
moved across the Mississippi to Lewis 
county, Missouri, but four or five years 
later became a resident of Shelby county, 
and here he has ever since had his home. 
In 1899, after farming and raising live 
stock for a period of more than sixty- 
five years, he retired from active pur- 
suits and moved to Shelbina, where he 
now resides. 

He was united in marriage with 
]\Iiss Nancy Hastings, of Ohio. They 
became the parents of twelve children, 
six of whom are living: Ella, the wife 
of J. W. Peters, of Shelbina; George A., 
the pleasing subject of this sketch ; Wil- 
liam, who is a resident of Paris, Mis- 
souri; Lillie, the wife of Roy Haskins, 
of Shelbina; Nettie, the wife of Louis 
Noble, also a resident of Paris, Missouri ; 
and Ida, the wife of David Montgomery, 
of Shelbina. The mother of these chil- 
dren is still living. In politics the father 
is a Republican, and in religious affilia- 
tion a member of the Christian church. 

George A. Wright obtained a limited 
education in the country schools of 
Shelby county, and after leaving school 



432 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



at an early age worked on farms in the 
neigliborliood of his home, and also at 
railroading until 1885. He was thrifty 
and economical, and by the year last 
mentioned felt himself able to engage in 
a ]3ermanent occupation, and therefore 
bought a farm near Shelbina. He pros- 
pered on this, and in 1896 bought an- 
other farm of eighty acres, on which lis 
has been actively and profitably engaged 
in farming and raising live stock from 
that time to the present. In 1909 he 
purchased ninety acres adjoining. As 
his prosperity has increased he has pur- 
chased additional land, and now owns 
260 acres, all of which he has under ad- 
vanced and productive ciiltivation. 

Mr. Wright has his farm well im- 
proved with good buildings and fully 
equipped with all the necessary ap- 
pliances foi"' its tillage according to the 
most approved modem methods, and he 
studies his business in all its features 
with a view to securiug the best results 
for all his outlay of toil and care in con- 
nection with it. He is regarded as one 
of the enterprising and progressive 
farmers and stock men of his township, 
and the appearance of his farm indicates 
that he deserves the reputation he en- 
joys. 

On November 22, 1887, he was united 
in marriage with Miss Amanda L. 
Peters, who was born in Scotland county, 
Missouri, on May 8, 1859, and is a 
daughter of "William and ]\Iatilda (Rice) 
Peters. Seven children have been born 
of the union, five of whom are living, and 
are at home with their ]iarents. They 
are: Artie Francis, Benjamin Alex- 
ander, "William P., Porter Clifford and 



Gladys Loree. In politi(>s the father is 
a Republican. 

JOHN H. MOORE. 

Born April 24, 1848, in Bethel town- 
ship, this county, and having passed all 
his subsequent years within the county, 
John H. Moore, of that township, where 
he carries on an extensive business as a 
farmer and stock man, has witnessed 
the progress and development of tlie re- 
gion and has done his part to aid in pro- 
moting them. In his boyhood the local- 
ity of his present residence was but little 
removed from its wild state, or at the 
most was still but sparsely peopled and 
its settlement was in a primitive state. 
But he, when he grew to manhood, and 
many others like him, gave attention to 
the needs of the locality and under their 
quickening labors it has grown to great- 
ness, wealth and power, witli every ele- 
ment of its civilization iuteuse with ac- 
tivity and enterprise. 

Mr. Moore is a son of Elislia and Ad- 
monia (Brown) Moore, the former a na- 
tive of Kentucky and the latter born in 
the same state, but brought to Missouri 
by her parents at a tender age. The 
father came to Ralls county. ^Missouri, 
in about 1829, but settled in this county 
in 1836, and passed the remainder of his 
days here actively and profitably en- 
gaged in farming and raising live stock. 
He was first married in 18.S0 to INIiss 
Amanda Gentry, a native of Ralls coun- 
ty, in this state. They had three chil- 
dren. Their mother died in 1843, and 
the father afterward contracted his mar- 
riage with Miss Admonia Brown. Five 



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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



433 



children were boru of this uuiou, four of 
whom are living, "William, John H., 
Tandy G. and Marj^ E., the wife of S. 
Bragg, of Bethel. The father was a 
AVhig in polities. His death occurred in 
1851 and that of the mother on August 
7. 1891. 

Their sou John H. began his education 
in the district schools of this county and 
completed it at a high school. Since 
leaving school he has been continuously 
and energetically engaged in farming 
and raising stock, and by industry and 
good management has become one of the 
most extensive farmers in the county. 
He owns over 1,200 acres of land, which 
is of good quality and the greater part 
of it is under advanced and skillful cul- 
tivation. The stock industry connected 
with the farming operations is also ex- 
tensive and conducted with great enter- 
prise and excellent judgment. Mr. 
Moore is also a leading stockholder in 
the Shelby County Railroad Company 
and has other interests of value in the 
county and elsewhere. 

On July 15, 1879, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Nannie Moran, a 
daughter of Solon and Mary Winifred 
(Martin) Moran, natives of Madison 
county, Kentucky, who came to Missouri 
when their daughter, now Mrs. Moore, 
was but six months old. By her marriage 
to Mr. Moore she has become the mother 
of eight children, seven of whom are liv- 
ing — Mary Edna, the wife of AValter 
Singleton ; James C, Lulu D., Hattie, 
Lucy E., John, Jr., and Frankie, the 
wife of Charles E. Baldwin, of Knox 
county, Missouri. In politics the father 
is an active, working Democrat, always 
zealous and effective in the service of 



his party, but never desirous of official 
station of any kind, although he has 
served on the school board for a period 
of over twenty-five years. He does not 
belong to any fraternal or social organi- 
zation, but is a devoted and serviceable 
member of the Baptist church. He has 
been very successful and always mani- 
fested a lively and helpful interest in 
everything pertaining to the welfare of 
his township and county. He is looked 
upon as a model farmer of large enter- 
l^rise and great progressiveness and is 
universally esteemed as a citizen and a 
man correct in his demeanor in every re- 
lation of life. And as he has passed all 
the years of his life in the locality of his 
present home the people around him 
have full knowledge of his worth. 



RICHARD O'DONNELL. 

This prosperous and highly respected 
retired farmer of Shelby county, whose 
well improved and skillfully cultivated 
farm of eighty acres lies in Salt River 
township, is a good illustration of the 
adaptability of the Irish race and its 
readiness to grapple with any condition 
in life and secure advancement if given 
a fair chance. He came to this country 
after going from his native land to Aus- 
tralia and passing a few years there. He 
had practically nothing when he came, 
but the qualities of pluck, perseverance 
and shrewdness, with which nature had 
endowed him, and he is now a man of 
substance, with a comfortable corape 
fence for life and stands high in the es- 
teem of all who know him. 

Mr. O'Donnell was born in Ireland on 
September 15, 1833. His father, John 



434 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



O'Donnell, and his grandfather, Richard 
O'Donnell, were also natives of the 
Emerald Isle, and there their forefath- 
ers lived many generations. The father 
came to the United States in 1845 and 
located in New York City, but three 
years later returned to Ireland, and 
there passed the balance of his life. He 
was a stone mason by occupation and 
did well at his trade. He was married 
in 1832 to Miss Mary Shea, also of Ire- 
land, and they had six children. 

Richard O'Donnell obtained his edu- 
cation in Ireland and passed the years 
of his early manhood in Australia, where 
he was engaged in building- bridges and 
saw mills. It was natural that he should 
seek better opportunities away from his 
native heath than the political and social 
conditions in his own country affoi'ded, 
and as Australia was a new and pro- 
gressive land, with seeming abundance 
of opportunity for a poor but ambitious 
young man, he went there. And the qual- 
ities of head and hand and heart which 
he possessed, which would have won him 
success almost anywhere, were service- 
able to him there. But still he hankered 
for America, and in 1877 he came to this 
country and found a home in Chicago, 
where he worked six months. He then 
moved to Shelby county and located on 
the farm in Salt River township on 
which he now lives, and on which he was 
actively and profitably engaged in farm- 
ing and raising live stock until his re- 
tirement from active work in 1904. 

Mr. O'Donnell's farm comprises 
eighty acres of good land and is well im- 
proved. He applied to its cultivation 
while he was in charge of it the intelli- 
gence he had gained in his extensive and 



varied experience, and also what he had 
gained in study and from observation 
and reflection, and he brought it to a 
high state of fertility and productive- 
ness. It is now farmed by tenants, but 
Mr. O'Donnell still supervises the farm- 
ing, and the same care and systematic 
work that he performed is the rule gov- 
erning all its operations, and the stand- 
ard of excellence in farming set up by 
him still prevails in every feature of 
what is done on the i^lace. 

Mr. O'Donnell was married in 1870 to 
Miss Jane Cross, also a native of Ire- 
land. They have had eight children, six 
of whom are living, and all residents of 
Shelby county. They are : John, also a 
prosperous farmer; Thomas, who re- 
sides in Shelbina; Richard, Jr.; Mary, 
the widow of Eugene Bailey; Eugene, 
who is a farmer of this county ; and Eve- 
lyn, who is at home with her parents. 
The father is a pronomiced Democrat in 
his political faith and allegiance, and his 
religious connection is with the Catholic 
church, of which he is a devout and faith- 
ful member. 

JOHN F. SPARKS. 

Born of one of the sturdy strains of 
Virginia yeomanry on his father's side 
of the house, his paternal grandfather, 
Robert Sparks, having been a product of 
old families in the Old Dominion, and of 
Kentucky parentage on both sides, John 
F. Sparks, of Salt River township, in 
this county, has reproduced in his own 
career on the soil of Missouri the best 
historical and traditional life features 
of his ancestry in the two older states of 
the South, and shown that whatever the 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY^ 



4:!5 



condition or snrroundings of the sterling 
American citizen, he is snre to exemj^lify 
the commendable traits of character and 
manhood that have given that citizenship 
its high rank in the jndicions estimate 
of the world. 

Mr. Sparks himself is a native of Hen- 
r}^ county, Kentucky, where he was born 
on January 4, 1835. His father, James 
P. Sparks, was born in Kentucky on Jan- 
uary 4, 1801, and was reared and edu- 
cated in his native state. There, also, he 
began the career as a farmer and live 
stock man which lasted to the end of his 
life. He came to Missouri and located 
his family on the boundary line between 
Monroe and Shelby counties in 1839, the 
dwelling of the family being in Monroe 
and part of the farm on which it was lo- 
cated in Shelby county. Here he renewed 
his activity as a farmer and stock man 
and continued it to his untimely death in 
1846, at the age of forty-five years. He 
was very enterprising and energetic and 
success followed all his efforts. And 
from the indications presented he was 
destined to become a man of consider- 
able wealth and influence if death had 
not cut short his usefulness when he was 
at the height of his powers. 

In 1822 he was united in marriage 
with Miss Sarah Elizabeth Threlkeld, 
and by this union he became the father 
of fourteen children, five of wliom are 
living: Martha Margaret, the wife of 
Judge N. Adams, of Shelbina; John F., 
who is the interesting theme of this writ- 
ing; Sarah Elizabeth, the wife of Henry 
Sparks ; Nancy Helen, the wife of Henry 
Smith, of Monroe county; and S. A. 
Sparks, an esteemed citizen of Blackwell, 
Oklahoma. The father was a loyal and 



zealous member of the Democratic party 
from the dawn of his manhood, and his 
services to his party were always pro- 
nounced and appreciated by the leaders 
and the rank and file of the organization. 
John F. Sparks was reared on the pa- 
rental farm and educated at the district 
schools of Monroe county. After leaving 
school life on the farm seemed tame and 
insipid to him, and accordingly, in 1853, 
he gratified the love of adventure he had 
inherited from his forefathers by going 
to California, which had not long before 
thrilled the world with the inspiring 
strains of its golden music. He remained 
on the Pacific coast fourteen years, then 
returned to his Missouri home, locating 
in Shelby county in 1867. In the mean- 
time he had mined and done teaming in 
the neighborhood of Sacramento, and 
had experienced all the adventure and 
exciting incidents in life that he had pre- 
viously longed for. 

After his return to this state he was 
continuously and profitably engaged in 
farming and raising live stock until 1904. 
In that year he retired from active pur- 
suits in consequence of a serious injury 
he received, and since then he has lived 
quietly in the eujojonent of the compe- 
tency his industry and frugality had 
brought him. He was married in 1870 
to Mrs. Mary E. (List) Sparks, the 
widow of his deceased brother. Thej' 
had three children, two of whom are liv- 
ing: Gerard, of Moberly, and Ada B., 
the wife of Y. E. Sullivan, of this county. 
The father is a Democrat in politics, a 
Presbyterian in church connection and 
has been a Freemason in fraternal life. 
He is one of the most esteemed citizens 
of his township. 



436 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



JOHN THORNTON KEITH. 

Highly successful in his vocation of 
farmer and live stock man, and- prom- 
inent and influential in county affairs for 
many years, John T. Keith, of Salt 
Eiver township, Shelby county, has 
served his day and generation well and 
given an excellent example for the giiid- 
ance and stimulation of the next. He is 
one of the leading farmers of his town- 
ship and one of the most useful and im- 
portant men in his county, exemplifying 
in his career the virtue and the value of 
industry and frugality in business and 
of high character and public spirit in re- 
gard to community nit'airs. 

Mr. Keith was born in Monroe county, 
Missouri, on August 13, 1847, and is a 
grandson of John H. Keith, a native of 
Virginia, who left the home of his an- 
cestors in his early manhood to make a 
new one for himself in what was then 
the wilds of Kentucky. There, on the 
frontier, or near it, his son, William T. 
Keith, the father of John T., was bom in 
1821. While he was yet a boy the family 
moved to Missouri, and in this state he 
grew to manhood, received his scholastic 
training and prejiared himself for a 
short but useful professional life. His 
academic education was completed at 
McDowell college in St. Louis, and after 
leaving that institution as a graduate, he 
studied medicine in Marion county. 
Wlien he was ready to enter the profes- 
sion he began his practice in Monroe 
county and later was associated with Dr. 
Bowen at Old Clinton in Monroe county. 
He rose rapidly in his profession and 
was fast api)roaching the first rank in 
the medical fraternity in this part of the 



state, when death ended his useful labors 
in 1855. 

The doctor did some farming in con- 
nection with his practice. He owned a 
farm of 240 acres which his slaves cul- 
tivated under his direction and supervi- 
sion. He was married in 1849 to Miss 
Mary Ann Smith, of Kentucky, and by 
this marriage became the father of one 
child, his son John T., the immediate 
subject of this sketch. His first wife 
died, and in 1851 he was married a sec- 
ond time, being united on this occasion 
with Miss Mary Lipscomb, of Monroe 
county, Missouri. They had one child 
also, who is now deceased. In politics 
the father trained with the old VTiug 
party, and in religious association he 
was connected with the Missionary Bap- 
tist church. 

John Thornton Keith began his edu- 
cation in the district schools of Monrod 
county and completed it at Bethel col- 
lege in Palmyra. He afterward pursued 
a course of special training at the Jones 
Commercial college in St. Louis. After 
leaving school he bought a farm of 120 
acres in this county four miles south- 
west of Shelbina, and on this tract and 
the additions he made to it by subse- 
quent purchases, he has been actively 
engaged in farming and raising live 
stock, also in feeding and shipping 
stock, ever since until recently he sold 
260 of the 380 acres of land which lie 
owned. His operations are now con- 
fined to his original 120 aci-es, and on 
this his specialty is handling jacks and 
jennets, and for his output in this de- 
partment of the live stock industry he is 
prominently and favorably known 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



43r 



throughout a wide extent of the country. 
He also liuys and feeds mules for the 
market, handling over 100 head annually. 

Locally he is best esteemed for his 
public spirit and devotion to tlie welfare 
and improvement of Shelby county. He 
is an ardent worker and stimulating 
force in all matters of progress and de- 
velopment, with a fine initiative spirit 
for designs and great energy and zeal in 
working them out. For more than forty 
years he has been president of the 
school board, and for a long time has 
served in the same capacity in the Shel- 
bina Fair association, which has pi'os- 
pered admirably under his skillful man- 
agement. 

On November 12, 1867, Mr. Keith mar- 
ried with Miss Martha Ellen Maddox, a 
native of Monroe coimty and a daughter 
of Marcus D. and Sarah M. (Sparks) 
Maddox, esteemed residents of that 
county. Eight children have been born 
of the union, seven of whom ai'e living: 
Ernest, resident in this county; Lena, 
the wife of Samuel Kimble, also dwell- 
ing in Shelby county; Alonzo, whose 
home is here too; Harry, who lives in 
Shelbina ; Bertie, the wife of Luther 
Fitzpatrick, of Monroe county; and 
Myrtle and Lester, who are still under 
the parental rooftree. 

The father is an earnest and devoted 
member of the Democratic party in his 
political relations and a faithful and ef- 
fective worker for the success of his 
party. His church affiliation is with the 
Southern Methodists, as is also his 
family. With his mind alert and fruit- 
ful and his hand open and free for every 
worthy undertaking for the good of*his 
township and county in a material way, 



and all his faculties ready at all times to 
aid in expanding and intensifying the 
power and usefulness of the moral 
agencies at work among their people, 
and with conscientious attention to 
every duty of citizenship, he is uni- 
versally and justly regarded as one of 
the leading and most serviceable men in 
this part of the state. 

JOHN WAY. 

Born and reared in that great hive of 
industry, the state of Pennsylvania, in 
which almost every form of human en- 
deavor finds expression if the latitude 
permits, and there trained to useful la- 
bor from his boyhood, enlisting in the 
Union army when he was eighteen, and 
during the four terrible years of our 
Civil war facing death on the battlefield 
and enduring the hardships and priva- 
tions of the march and the cam]i, John 
Way, one of the progressive and pros- 
perous farmers and live stock men of 
Salt River township, in this county, had 
a discipline in duty that fitted him for 
almost any requirement smd made him 
equal to almost any emergency in peace 
or war. 

Mr. Way was born on January 10, 
1844, in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, 
and is a son of Frederick and Harriet 
(Sprinkle) Way, natives of Matyland. 
The father was born near Hagerstown in 
that state, in 1815, and after a residence 
there and in Pennsylvania of fifty-seven 
years, came to Missouri in 1871 and lo- 
cated in Shelliy county, five miles south- 
west of Shelbina. Here he acquired land 
and was actively engaged in farming and 
raising live stock until 1891, when death 



438 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ended his labors. Before coining to this 
state lie lived and operated on farms 
which he rented in various localities in 
the former states of his residence. Both 
on them and on his own land in this 
county he was successful and wrought 
out good results by his skillful and per- 
sistent industry and his excellent man- 
agement. 

He was married in Hagerstown, Mary- 
land, to Miss Harriet Sprinkle, of the 
same nativity as himself, and they be- 
came the parents of eight children, six 
of whom are living: John, the interest- 
ing subject of this bi'ief review; Harry, 
whose home is in Shelbina ; Luther, a 
resident of Marion county ; Cyrus, also a 
resident of Marion county; Mary Ann, 
the wife of Mark Heuniuger, of Santa 
Ana, California; Alexander, of Shelby 
county, Missouri; and Clark, of Shel- 
bina. In political relations the father ad- 
hered to the Democratic party and gave 
it effective and appreciated service, al- 
though he never sought or desired a po- 
litical office for himself. His religious 
connection was with the Presbyterian 
church. The mother died in Shelby 
county October 25, 190-1. 

John Way was educated in the district 
schools of his native county, but left 
school when he was eighteen to enter the 
Federal army in defense of the Union. 
He enlisted in 18(52 in Company B, Six- 
teenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, under 
Corps Commander John B. Gregg and 
Col. K. E. Robinson, being enrolled in 
Pittsburg. He served throughout the war 
and was honorably discharged at Javis 
Hospital, in Baltimore,Maryland, in July, 
1865. His military service was no child's 
play, but the most strenuous in its ex- 



actions and experiences. He was in the 
Army of the Potamac, around which the 
war storm raged perpetually, and he 
was called on to take part in some of the 
most renowned and sanguinary battles 
of the mighty conflict, among them those 
at Chancellorsville, Petersburg, the Wel- 
don railroad, Mine Run and "Winchester, 
and he was present at Lee's surrender 
at Appomattox, where the banner of the 
Confederacy went down in everlasting 
defeat. At the battle of Winchester he 
was wounded and taken to an old tobacco 
barn, where he lay four days in agony 
and was then taken to City Point, and 
there the news of President Lincoln's as- 
sassination reached him. 

After the war Mr. Way followed rail- 
roading on the section in AVestmoreland 
county, Pennsylvania, until 1871, when 
he came to Shelby county, Missouri, with 
his parents. After a residence in this 
county of two years, he returned to 
Pennsylvania and again engaged in rail- 
road work. Two years later he sold his 
interests in that state and came l)ack to 
this county, arriving in 1875, and liere he 
has been actively, extensively and profit- 
ably engaged in farming and raising live 
stock ever since. He now owns 140 acres 
of superior land and is prominently con- 
nected with the live stock industry, his 
specialty being feeding the best grades 
and strains of cattle and shipping his 
output to markets farther east. He has 
been very successful in all his undertak- 
ings and is regarded as one of the lead- 
ing cattle dealers in this j^art of the 
state. 

Mr. Way was married on August 13, 
1867, to Miss Harriet :\rull, of Fayette 
county, Pennsylvania. They have had 



IirSTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



430 



seven childi'en, three of whom are living: 
"William Upton, of Woodliind, Missouri; 
Forest Gary, whose home is in Seattle, 
Washington; and Celia AVay, the oldest 
of the three, who is the wife of Adolph 
Fitzpatrick. The mother of these chil- 
dren died September 11, 1894, and on 
October 25, 1896, the father married a 
second wife, being united in the second 
alliance with Miss Bettie Bennett, of 
Moberly, Missouri. They have two chil- 
dren, their daughters, Gladys and Delia 
May, who are still living at home with 
their parents. In politics the father is 
an active, working Eepubliean, but he 
never seeks an office of any kind for him- 
self, either by election or appointment, 
preferring to serve the state from the 
honorable jsost of private citizenship. 
He is a member of the Missionary Bap- 
tist church, and his wife belongs to the 
same. He has been zealous and help- 
ful in building up his township and coun- 
ty, and the people who live in them es- 
teem him highly as one of their best and 
most useful citizens. Mr. Way was a 
member of the G. A. E. for some years, 
but the post has since gone out of exist- 
ence, most of the members having died. 

MARION M. MAUPIN. 

Marion M. Maupin, of Lentner town- 
ship, who is one of the most extensive 
and successful farmers and live stock 
dealers in Shelby county, is a native of 
Monroe county, Missouri, where he was 
born on June 13, 1858, and a scion of old 
Virginia families resident in the Old 
Dominion from colonial times. He has 
inherited the elevation of character and 
sterling manliness of his ancestors, and 



is thoroughly imbued with the spirit of 
enterprise and progressiveness tliat fills 
the West with its energy and has made 
it so wealthy in production and potential 
in influence. He has therefore a com- 
bination of (puilities which would in.sure 
business success in almost any tield of 
effort and win him esteem and general 
consideration in any community. 

]\Ir. Maupin is a grandson of Thomas 
G. Maupin, who was born, reared and 
passed his early manhood in Virginia, 
then moved to Missouri in the youth of 
this state but the full maturity of his 
own ijowers. His son, Thomas H. 
]\Iaupin, the father of Marion M., was 
also a native of Virginia, born there in 
1827. When he was but seven years of 
age the family moved to this state and 
located in Monroe county. There he 
grew to manhood and ol)taiued his edu- 
cation in the district schools. There also 
he farmed and raised live stock to the 
end of his life, except during a period of 
four years which he passed in California 
at the height of the early excitement 
over the discovery of gold in that state. 
He was successful as a miner there and 
as a farmer and live stock man here, and 
when he died in 1905 was possessed of a 
considerable estate, all won by his own 
industry, thrift and excellent manage- 
ment. 

In 1856 he was united in marriage 
with Miss Mary F. Maupin, of Marion 
county, Missouri, and by this marriage 
became the father of three children, of 
whom Marion M. is the only one now 
living. In political relations the father 
was a life-long Democrat, and from the 
dawn of his manhood to tlie end of his 
life was true and loyal to his party and 



440 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



one of its zealous and effective workers 
in all campaigns. He never sought or 
desired a political office for himself, but 
worked for the principles of his party 
because he believed in them and from a 
stern and exacting sense of duty. 

His son, Marion M. Maupin, grew to 
manhood on the family homestead and 
assisted in its labors while attending the 
district school in the neighborhood and 
after leaving school until 1881. He then 
bought a portion of the land on which he 
now resides eight miles southwest of 
Shelbina, and began fanning and rais- 
ing live stock on his own account. Seek- 
ing no other occupation for his energies 
and devoting them to these with ardor 
and excellent judgment, he has been very 
successful. His methods have been 
progressive and all his operations have 
embodied the best thought and intel- 
ligence available concerning the lines of 
activity in which he has been engaged. 

Mr. Maupin now owns 940 acres of 
fine land and has it nearly all vmder vig- 
orous and skillful cultivation, and his 
live stock industry is in proportion to his 
acreage. He has some of the land 
farmed by tenants, but he gives it all 
his personal attention and supervision. 
In his stock industry he has somewhat 
specialized jacks and jennets, but he has 
also raised and shipped large numbers 
of Duroc-Jersey hogs, and he has not 
confined his output to the two lines men- 
tioned but has been an extensive shipper 
of general live stock to the Chicago and 
Eastern markets. He is also a stock- 
holder in the Old Bank of Shelbina. 

In the public affairs of his township 
and county ^Fr. Maupin has always man- 
ifested a cordial interest and taken an 



active part. He has served the people 
well and wisely as school clerk during 
the last fifteen years, and in many other 
ways has contributed materially and ex- 
tensively to the development and im- 
provement of the region in which he 
lives. No enterprise of value to the 
people has been without his active and 
serviceable aid and intelligent and stim- 
ulating guidance. And his services are 
highly appreciated by those who have 
had the benefit of them. 

On February 23, 1881, he was married 
to ^liss Emma Francis, a daughter of 
Thomas and Millie (Miles) Francis, 
highly esteemed residents of Monroe 
county. Six children have been born of 
the union, four of whom are living: 
Thomas Eugene, who resides in this 
county; Myrtle E., the wife of E. L. 
Smock, of Monroe county; Nannie B., 
the wife of Benjamin Stewart, also a 
resident of Monroe county; and Varian 
F., who is living at home with his par- 
ents. The father's political allegiance 
is given firmly and faithfully to the 
Democratic party, and in its service he 
is always energetic and influential. He 
is representative of all that is best in 
Shelby county citizenship, and is cor- 
respondingly esteemed by the people of 
the county, who know his worth and 
hold his usefulness in high regard. ^Irs. 
]\Iaupin is a member of the Christian 
church. 

LEE DIMMITT. 

Beginning active efforts for himself 
in the struggle for advancement among 
men when he was but a youth, and now 
occupying a place of prominence in the 
industrial and public life of his com- 




LEE DIM MITT 



445 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



1898, and Dillman Daniel, boru in 1903. 
Tliey are all living at home with their 
parents. The father is a Democrat of 
the most reliable kind in his political as- 
sociation, and a very earnest and effi- 
cient worker for the success of his party 
in all campaigns. Fraternally he is an 
Odd Fellow, a Modern Woodman and a 
Koyal Neighbor. His religious connec- 
tion is with the Southern Methodist 
church and that of his wife is with the 
Christian sect. Both work well for all 
church interests. 

JOHN S. BARTON. 

This prominent, progressive and pros- 
]ierous farmer and live stock man of 
Lentner township is not a native of Shel- 
by countj', but has lived in it from the 
time when he was two years of age. He 
grew to manhood drawing his stature 
and his strength from its soil, was edu- 
cated in its district schools, and from his 
boyhood has been busily engaged in two 
of its leading industries. He is there- 
fore to all intents and purposes a Shelby 
county product, and the people of the 
county admire and esteem him as a rep- 
resentative of their best citizenship and 
an extensive contributor to the jirogress 
and development of this part of the 
state. 

Mr. Barton was boi-n in ]\lonroe coun- 
ty, Missouri, on June 10, 1849, and is a 
grandson of Squire P. Barton, one of 
the pioneers of northeastern jNIissouri, 
who was born and reared in Kentucky 
and came to this state in his early man- 
hood and located in Marion county. He 
liollted to lireak u]) the wild laud of that 
region and to lav the foundations of civil 



government for the county, being a man 
of great force of character and consider- 
able intelligence. His son, Morgan P. 
Barton, the father of John S., was born 
in Marion county in 1824 and moved to 
Shelby county in his young manhood. He 
followed farming and raising live stock 
from the time of his arrival in the county 
to the end of his life on 160 acres of land 
three miles south of Lentner. His widow, 
now aged eighty-four years, is living on 
that fai-m. 

The elder Mr. Barton was prospering 
finely and was well established in the 
confidence and esteem of the community 
in which he lived at the beginning of the 
Civil war. Being a man of strong con- 
victions and a high sense of duty, and 
believing firmly in the doctrine of state 
rights, he followed his convictions to the 
field of battle in response to one of the 
early calls of the Southern Confederacy 
for volunteers, enlisting in the command 
of Gen. Joseph Porter and being hurried 
soon afterward to the front. After a 
service of four months he broke one of 
his hands in a fall from his horse at the 
battle of Kirksville and, being hard 
pressed, gave himself up to the Federal 
authorities, surrendering to Colonel 
Benjamin. He was transferred from 
prison to prison, at length reaching the 
one at Alton, Illinois, in which he died 
in 1863. His remains were buried in an 
Alton burial ground with military 
honors. 

He was married on February 15, 1847, 
to Miss Elizabeth Ann iMcBroom, a na- 
tive of Virgina. Of the nine children 
born to them seven are living: John S., 
the immediate subject of this brief 
memoir; Sarah G., the wife of John 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



443 



Clay, of this county; Mary Susan, the 
wife of John Brison, of Kansas City, 
Missouri ; Squire P., who is also a resi- 
dent of this county; Stephen F., also a 
Shelhy county citizen; AVilliani W., 
whose home is in Omaha, Nebraska ; and 
Morgan H., who lives in Shelby county. 
In politics the father was a pronounced 
and energetic Democrat. His religious 
affiliation was with the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, South. 

His venerable widow, now eighty-four 
years old, as has been noted, is the oldest 
woman in Shelby county — a veritable 
and shining link between the bustling 
present, with its advanced development 
and strident progress, and the remote 
l^ast of the pioneer days, with its rug- 
gedness of life, its thrilling adventures, 
constant ]ierils and almost ever-present 
privations and hardships. She has lived 
usefully and correctly among this people, 
and there is not one of them who does 
not do her reverence. 

Her son, John S. Barton, was educated 
in the district schools of Shelby county, 
whither his ]iarents moved from Monroe 
county in 1851. After leaving school he 
worked out on neighboinng farms and as- 
sisted the family on the home farm until 
1870, then bought the farm of 200 acres' 
on which he now lives, and on this he has 
been actively, extensively and protitably 
engaged in farming and raising live 
stock ever since. He has been very suc- 
cessful in his operations, conducting 
them with intelligence and skill and man- 
aging his business with judgment and 
foresight. He has also been zealous and 
energetic in promoting the welfare of his 
township and county, serving as a mem- 
ber of the school board at several differ- 



ent periods, and giving earnest attention 
to all projects for the advancement and 
improvement of the locality in which he 
has his home. 

On December 22, 1872, Mr. Barton was 
united in marriage with Miss Sophronia 
Kidwell, a daughter of Henry and Nancy 
(Mullins) Kidwell, long esteemed resi- 
dents of Shelby county. Of the seven 
children born of the union six are living: 
Lulu May, the wife of Rev. E. L. Carroll, 
of Liberty, Missouri; Etta B., the wife 
of Thomas Noel, of Lentner; George F., 
who still has his home with his parents; 
Edgar C, who is also a resident of Lib- 
erty ; Jesse W., living in this county ; and 
Eva v., who is still a member of the pa- 
rental household. In political relations 
the father is allied with the Democratic 
party. He and his wife are active mem- 
bers of Missionary Baptist church. They 
are among the most highly respected cit- 
izens of Shelby county and fully deserve 
the regard and good will bestowed on 
them. 

WILLIAM GAMBLE. 

Settling down to the quiet yet inter- 
esting and independent life of a farmer 
and live stock man after trying his hand 
at varioiis other occupations and in- 
structive experience in several different 
localities, William Gamble, of Lentner 
township, this county, has foimd the 
field of effort suited to his taste and 
made a success of gratifying ]n-oportions 
in working it. He has qualities of per- 
severing industry and good business 
management that would have brought 
him profitable returns in almost any 
line of industry, but his bent is more 
decidedlv in the Hue he is following than 



444 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



any other, and lie has been wise enough 
to adhere to it through all temptations 
to do otherwise, and these have been 
numerous in his case, as American life 
is full of allurements for men of capacity 
and enterprise. 

Mr. Gamble was born in Vicksburg, 
Mississijopi, on December 21, 185-4, and 
is a son of Andrew and Patience (Pot- 
tercary) Gamble, both of whom met 
tragic fates after many years of useful- 
ness and upright living. The father was 
born in Ireland and came to the United 
States in his boyhood, locating at Vicks- 
burg, Mississippi. There he grew to 
manhood and became the owner of a cot- 
ton plantation east of the city. He also 
conducted a livery business and traded 
in horses and mules. In a trip down the 
Mississippi to New Orleans in 1860 he 
was accidentally drowned. He was a 
stone cutter and monument or tombstone 
maker by trade, but he did not work at 
that craft long after acquiring a knowl- 
edge of it. His widow was killed by a 
piece of a shell from the Federal army 
during the siege of Vicksburg. They 
had seven children, three of whom are 
living: Andrew, whose home is in St. 
Louis; William, the subject of this brief 
review; and Robert, who is a resident of 
Jackson, Mississippi. The father was a 
member of the Masonic oi-der and his 
religious affiliation was with the Prot- 
estant Episcopal church. 

His son William was educated in the 
))ublic schools of Vicksburg and St. 
Louis, and after leaving school began 
the battle of life for himself by work- 
ing in a harness manufactory. But he 
did not like this occupation and in a short 



time transferred his energies to work in 
a machine shop, where he remained until 
1870. He then came to Missouri and lo- 
cated for one year in Macon county. At 
the end of that period he settled in 
Shelby county on the farm two miles 
west of Shelbina, and in 1902 on the 
farm he now lives on and here he has 
been continuously and successfully en- 
gaged in farming and raising live stock 
ever since. He has increased his farm 
to 312 acres, one-half of which he has 
in grass and the rest under general cul- 
tivation. In addition to the live stock 
he raises he feeds numbers of cattle and 
ships his whole output to Chicago and 
markets farther east. 

Mr. Gamble has taken an earnest in- 
terest and active part in promoting the 
welfare of his township and county, giv- 
ing energetic attention to every worthy 
undertaking for their advancement and 
improvement, and contributing by all 
means in his power to the comfort and 
convenience of their people. He served 
on the school board seven years and in 
many other ways has shown his abiding 
interest in the good of his commimity. 
He was first married in 1876 to Miss 
Henrietta Kidwell of Shelby county. 
She died seven months after the mar- 
riage, and on February 12, 1880, he mar- 
ried a second time, his choice in this 
union being Miss Rosa Tayloi-, a daugh- 
ter of Wesley and Emerine (Bowles) 
Taylor, esteemed residents of Marion 
county, this state, where Mrs. Gamble 
was born on April 19, 1856. They have 
had five children, but only two of them 
are living: Fannie, the wife of Earl 
Bowen, of Clarence, Missouri, and 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



445 



Charles Milton, who is still at home with 
his parents. Politically the father is a 
Democrat and he and his wife are mem- 
bers of the Baptist church. 

WILLIS J. MAGRUDER. 

This prosperous and enterprising 
farmer and live stock man of Lentuer 
township was boi'n in Shelby county, 
near Maud, on August 13, 1865, and has 
passed the whole of his life to this time 
in the county of his nativity. From his 
boyhood he has been engaged in the two 
of its leading industries which now com- 
mand his time and attention, and by that 
means has contributed materially to the 
wealth and commercial influence of his 
township and the consequence of its 
people. He has also taken an earnest 
interest in its welfare in all other ways, 
performing all the duties of good citi- 
zenship in a commendable manner and 
exemplifying in his daily life the best 
attributes of elevated American man- 
hood. 

Mr. Magruder is of Kentucky ancestry 
on his father's side of the house. His 
father, William Henry, and his grand- 
father, Willis Magruder, were born in 
the Blue Grass state and became early 
residents of Missouri, locating in Mon- 
roe county during the boyhood of the 
father. He came- into being in 1839, and, 
after a residence of a few years in his 
native state, and one of several more in 
Monroe county, this state, moved to 
Shelby county in 1862. Here he followed 
farming and raising live stock until 1893, 
when he retired from active pursuits 
and has since been living with his chil- 



dren in this and Monroe county. He 
still owns his farm in Shelby county and 
has it rented to a tenant who farms it 
under his direction and supervision. 

He was married in 1862 to Miss Sarah 
Jane Weatherford, of Monroe county, 
Missouri. They have had nine children, 
three of whom have died. Those living 
are: Beauregard, a resident of Walla 
Walla, state of Washington; Willis J., 
the subject of this writing; Lucy Helen, 
the wife of E. R. Gaines, of Monroe 
county, Missouri; Henrietta, the wife of 
Alexander Stalcup, of Monroe county; 
Minnie Kate, the wife of Le Roy Hard- 
ing, of Shelby county; and Beulah May, 
the wife of George Ashford, of Shel- 
bina. In his political relations the father 
adheres to the principles of the Dem- 
ocratic party, and has long been a faith- 
ful worker in its service. His religious 
connection is with the Baptist church. 

Willis J. Magruder obtained his edu- 
cation at the district school in Fairview, 
Monroe county, this state. After leav- 
ing school he studied telegraphy at Se- 
dalia for one year, then farmed on the 
home place and assisted the family there 
until 1888. In that year he began a ca- 
reer in farming and raising live stock on 
his own account in Shelby county, and 
here he has been continuously and suc- 
cessfully engaged in those pursuits ever 
since. He makes a specialty of raising 
superior breeds of hogs, but also handles 
sheep and cattle in large numbers. He 
has studied all features of his business 
thoughtfully and observed all its man- 
ifestations with care, and by this means 
has become not only one of the most suc- 
cessful stock men in his township, but 



446 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



an acknowledged anthority on every- 
thing; connected with the live stock in- 
dustry. 

Mr. Magruder is a man of public 
spirit and progressiveness and shows 
these qualities of his manhood in his de- 
votion to the welfare of his township and 
his earnest efforts on all occasions and 
in every way to promote it. No effort 
designed to advance their interests goes 
without his active aid, which is always 
given with intelligence and good judg- 
ment. On September 28. 1890, he was 
imited in marriage with Miss Mary Vir- 
ginia Kidwell, of Shelby county, Mis- 
souri. They have had nine children, all 
of whom are living. They are: Charles 
F., Visa F., Chester, Koland, Everett, 
Vemey, Howard, Velma and Vivian, and 
are all yet members of the parental fam- 
ily circle. 

MICHAEL E. EUTTER. 

Although a native of Marion county, 
this state, where he was born on October 
7, 1833. ]\richael E. Rutter, of Salt River 
township, has been a resident of Shelby 
county during all but the first two years 
of his life, and from his boyhood has 
been connected with its farming and 
stock raising industries in an energetic 
and serviceable way. He is now one of 
the best and most widely known breeders 
and handlers of mules of superior grades 
in this county, his operations in this line 
being extensive and commanding atten- 
tion and admiration all over the country. 

^Ir. Rutter is a grandson of Edmond 
Rutter, who was born and reared in 
Kentucky and a son of Chambers Rutter, 
who was also a native of that state, and 



born in 1799. The latter came to Mis- 
souri in the early days of its histoiy and 
located near Scipio Bottom, where he 
passed a number of years engaged in 
teaming. In 1833 he moved to Marion 
county, and after fanning there two 
years, changed his residence to Shelliy 
county. Here he was actively and suc- 
cessfully engaged in farming and raising 
live stock until 1839, when he turned his 
attention to merchandising and kept at 
it two years. At the end of that period 
he returned to the farm, on which he died 
in 1852. 

He was married in 1832 to Miss Nancy 
Hornback of Macon county. They had 
two children, both of whom are living, 
Michael E. and his sister Mary E., the 
wife of Clark Vandiver, who lives in 
Shelbina. Their mother died and in 
1836 the father married a second wife, 
being united in this marriage with Miss 
Catherine Gallagher, of Shelby county. 
In politics he was a pronounced Demo- 
crat, loyal to his party and zealous in its 
service. His religious affiliation was 
with the ^lethodist Episcopal Church. 
South. 

^lichael E. Rutter was educated in the 
country schools of Shelby county, and 
after leaving school at once began farm- 
ing and raising live stock on his own ac- 
count, continuing his operations in these 
interesting and profitable industries un- 
til ]90,'5, when he gave uj) all active pur- 
suits, although he is still living on his 
farm. During the last fifteen years of 
his activity he was very successfully oc- 
cupied in raising superior strains of 
mules, building uj) a large trade and ac- 
quiring a wide reputation for the excel- 
lence of his output, as has been stated. 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



447 



He was married in 1852 to Miss Eliza 
H. Hollyman, of Marion county. They 
have had eight children, four of whom 
are living: John W., a resident of Shel- 
by county; Nancy E., the wife of Clay 
Dufer, of Shelby county ; and James and 
Charles, who are also residents of this 
county. The father is a loyal and un- 
wavering Democrat in his poltical rela- 
tions and an earnest and effective worker 
for his party in all campaigns, although 
he has never sought a political office of 
any kind for himself. He is devoted to 
the progress and welfare of his town- 
ship and county and shows his interest' 
in their substantial advancement by zeal- 
ous assistance in every worthy project 
involving the good of their people, among 
whom he is held in high esteem as one of 
the leading and most useful citizens of 
this portion of the state. His religious 
connection is with the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, South, and he is active in 
the service of the congregation to which 
he belongs. Now verging close upon 
eighty years of age, he can look back 
over his long career with the satisfaction 
that it has been profitable to himself and 
serviceable to the people around him. for 
he has been faithful in the performance 
of every duty and given an impressive il- 
lustration of the benefit and comfort of 
upright living. 

GEOEGE W. O 'BRYAN. 

It is not often that man who has lived 
to an almost patriarchal age in his native 
region moves to another, and on what is 
to him practically an alien soil lights the 
fires of a new domestic hearth, but this is 
what hapi)ened in the case of John 



'Bryan, the father of George W. 
'Bryan, one of the enterprising and 
progressive farmers and stock men of 
Lentner township and one of the public 
spirited and broad minded citizens of 
this county, who came to Missouri when 
he was well advanced in years, and with 
all the energy of his youth re])eated here 
what he had already achieved in the 
state of his nativity as a successful 
fai'mer and live stock man and a live and 
influential citizen. 

Mr. 'Bryan is a native of Washing- 
ton coimty, Virginia, where he was born 
on February 18, 18-f9. His parents, John 
and Sallie (Heninger) 'Bryan, were 
also natives of that state and descended 
of families resident there from early 
colonial days. They were married on 
June 28, 1829, and had four children, of 
whom George W. is the only one living. 
The father was born in Virginia in 1778 
and came to Missouri in 1853. In his na- 
tive state he was a shoemaker, but after 
coming to this state he followed fai'ming 
and raising stock exclusively, which he 
had been engaged in in connection with 
working at his trade in Virginia. He 
died in Monroe county, which was the 
place of his Missouri residence, in 1862. 
He was married twice, the first time to 
Miss Anna Anderson, of Virginia, with 
whom he was united on July 29, 1804. 
They had five children, whose mother 
died a few years after the last one was 
born. His second wife was a daughter 
of Jacob and Mary Henninger, esteemed 
residents of Monroe county, and num- 
bered among its most respected and use- 
ful citizens. In politics he belonged to 
the '\Vhig ]iarty until the death of that 
organization, and afterward took but lit- 



448 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



tie interest in public affairs. His relig- 
ious afiSliation was with the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, South. 

His son, George W. 'Bryan, was edu- 
cated in the public schools of Monroe 
county, this state, of which he became a 
resident when he was four years old, 
and after leaving school bought sixty 
acres of land, which he farmed until 
1893. He then sold his farm in the au- 
tumn of that year and also everything 
pertaining to his farming operations, 
and went to California for the winter. 
On his return to j\Iissouri he bought 327 
acres of farm land in Shelby county, but 
took up his residence in Lentner. Here 
for six years he carried on a general 
merchandising establishment in connec- 
tion with his farming and live stock oper- 
ations. At the end of the period men- 
tioned he sold out his interests in the 
store and since then he has done a little 
fanning, but has had the greater part of 
his land worked by his sons. His fann 
now comprises 300 acres and is all under 
vigorous and skillful cultivation. 

In 1904 he was elected president of the 
Farmers and IMerchants' Bank of Shel- 
bina, now the Sbelbina National Bank. 
He resigned after a service of about two 
years in this capacity, but he still holds 
stock in the bank and is one of its direc- 
tors. This plain narrative of his life, as 
far as it has proceeded, is sufficient to 
show that he is a man of character and 
force, but it has made no mention of the 
fact that he has at all times been zealous 
and energetic in the service of his town- 
ship and county, and has done all in his 
power to promote their welfare. Yet this 
is a well known fact and has secured for 
him the lasting regard and good will of 



all classes of the people among whom he 
has so long lived and labored. 

On September 11, 1877, he was united 
in marriage with Miss Anna M. Hager, 
a native daughter of the town of Hager 's 
Grove, in this county, to which her 
father, John Hager, gave its name, or 
rather, which was named in his honor. 
Of the eight children born of this union 
seven are living: Lena V., the wife of 
^r. AV. Moxley, of Merced, California; 
Laura F., the wife of Charles Brady, of 
Monroe county, Missouri; Anna Vir- 
ginia, the wife of A. "W. Byrum, of Santa 
Rosa, California; Jimmie Lee, who re- 
sides in Lentner, Missouri ; Walter C, a 
resident of this county; George Vest, 
also a resident of Lentner; and Archie 
C, who lives in the same place. 

In political affairs the father gives his 
allegiance to the Democratic party, and 
as he is a man of strong convictions he 
works for the success of the party he be- 
lieves in with all his ardor in all its cam- 
paigns. The religious affiliation of him- 
self and his wife is with the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, South, and both are 
active and effective church workers for 
the congregation to which they belong, 
and give serviceable aid to all worthy 
church enter]irises without regard to de- 
nominational lines. Mr. 'Bryan has 
been very successful in business, prom- 
inent and influential for years as a citi- 
zen, and one of the leaders in the live 
stock industry in this state, especially in 
the production and handling of mules 
of the best grades, for his output in 
which he has a national reputation. 
He is the father of Jimmie 'Bryan, 
a sketch of whom will be found in this 
volume. 




w^- 



THOMAS W. FORMAN 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



449 



THO^IAS W. FORMAN. 

In section 5, Black Creek township, is 
located the fine farm property of this 
rei)reseutative exponent of the agricul- 
tural industry in liis native county, 
where he has ever held a secure place in 
popular confidence and esteem. He is a 
scion of one of the honored pioneer fami- 
lies of Shelby county, and he is one of 
the loyal sons of the state who went forth 
in defense of the Union when its integ- 
ritj' was menaced by armed rebellion. 

Thomas W. Forman was born on the 
parental homestead farm, in Taylor 
township, this county, on December 15, 
1844, and is a son of Benjamin F. and 
Mary (Bowling) Forman, honored pio- 
neers, concerning whom duly specific 
mention is made in the sketch of the 
career of their elder sou, John Forman, 
on other pages of this work, so that fur- 
ther review of the family historj^ is not 
demanded in the present connection. 
Thomas W. Forman was reared under 
the conditions and influences of the pio- 
neer days and contributed his quota to 
the work of the home farm, the while he 
received such limited educational advan- 
tages as were offered in the somewhat 
primitive district schools of the locality 
and period. He was about seventeen 
years of age at the inception of the Civil 
war, and his youthful patriotism 
prompted him to make definite response 
to President Lincoln's call for volun- 
teers. At Palmyra, Marion county, in 
October, 18G1, Mr. Forman enlisted as a 
private in Company F, Third Missouri 
Volunteer Cavalry, under command of 
Gen. John M. Glover. He continued in 
active service with this gallant regiment 
until victory had crowned the Union 



arms and peace had been declared. His 
command was assigned to the Army of 
the Red River, and with the same he par- 
ticipated in many engagements in ]\lis- 
souri and Arkansas, including the battle 
of Little Rock. He was mustered out in 
the city of St. Louis in the fall of 1865, 
and duly received his honorable dis- 
charge, having proved a valiant and 
faithful soldier of the republic and made 
an excellent record during his long years 
of service. 

After the close of his military career 
the young soldier returned to his native 
county, where he farmed on rented land 
until he was able to make investment in 
land of his own. In 1867 he purchased 
sixty acres in section 5, Black Creek 
township, and from this modest nucleus, 
through his own well-directed efforts 
and careful business methods, he has 
evolved a fine landed estate of 880 acres, 
constituting one of the best farm prop- 
erties in the county, as he has made the 
best of improvements on the same and 
has manifested much judgment in the 
handling of all departments of the farm 
work. Mr. Forman is thus one of the ex- 
tensive and substantial agriculturists of 
his native county, and he has .made a 
specialty of the raising of high-grade 
live stock and in the buying and ship- 
ping of cattle, horses and mules, in 
which connection he has built up a flour- 
ishing enterprise, particularly in the 
handling of mules, of.,which he keeps an 
average of fifty head, being a successful 
breeder as well as dealer. 

It is naturally to be presu]iposed that 
a citizen who has been so enterprising 
and successful in connection with his 
private interests should also take a loyal 



450 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



concern in all that tends to advance the 
material and civic welfare of the com- 
munity, and in this respect Mr. Forman 
is essentially progressive and public 
spirited. He is a stalwart in the local 
camp of the Democratic party, but the 
only office in which he has consented to 
serve is that of school director, of which 
he was incumbent for a number of years. 
He and his wife hold membership in the 
Christian church. 

On December 18, 1873, Mr. Forman 
was united in marriage to Miss Jennie 
Mayes, who was born, reared and edu- 
cated in this county, being a daughter of 
James and Louisa Mayes. Mr. and Mrs. 
Forman have four children, namely: 
Ella, who is the wife of Joseph Van 
Skike, of Shelby county; Benjamin F., 
who is associated in the work and man- 
agement of the home farm, and Alice 
and Marvin. 

HUGO POWELL. 

This esteemed citizen of Shelbina, who 
has recently moved to that city after 
farming and raising live stock in Shelby 
county with great industry and a grati- 
fying measure of success for a period of 
over thirty-four years, is a native of 
Germany, and was born in the city of 
Breslau in that country on May 20, 1827. 
Before he was a year old his parents, 
Arthur and Laura (Frost) Powell, also 
natives of Germany, emigrated to the 
United States and located in Allegheny, 
Pennsylvania. There the father worked 
at his trade as a brewer until 1848, when 
he returned to his native land, where he 
died in 1852. He and his wife were the 
parents of two children, of whom Hugo 



is the only one living. The mother died 
in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, in 1847, and 
the year following the father took her re- 
mains back to Germany. 

He obtained a limited public school 
education in the schools of Allegheny, 
Pennsylvania, and after leaving school 
went to the city of New York, where he 
served as a cash boy in a store five years. 
In 1853 he enlisted in Company F, Sixth 
New York Regular Cavalry, under the 
command of General Scott. While in 
the military service under this enlist- 
ment he learned the trade of clothing 
cutter. But he was devoted to the Union 
and found a charm in military life which 
had not been fully dispelled by his short 
term in the army. He therefore enlisted 
.again in 1861, at the very beginning of 
the Civil war, liecoming a member of 
Company F, Excelsior Brigade, New 
York, which was commanded by Colonel 
Sickles, who later became one of the dis- 
tinguished generals of the Union army 
and lost one of his limbs in the deluge 
of death at Gettysburg. Mr. Powell 
served in this brigade eighteen months, 
then received a serious injury by falling 
off a bridge while doing duty as a picket 
during the battle of Fair Oaks, Vir- 
ginia. This incapacitated him for further 
military service, and he was honorably 
discharged from the army on August 28, 
1862, in the city of Philadelphia. 

His next move in life was to M'ork at 
his trade as a clothing cutter, which he 
followed for five years in New Yoi'k 
city. At the end of that period he came 
West and located for a short time at 
Beloit, Wisconsin, and there he was en- 
gaged in merchant tailoring and dealing 
in gents' furnishings for three years. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



451 



From Beloit lie moved to Hamiibal, Mis- 
souri, where he followed the same busi- 
ness nine years. He then took up his 
residence in Shelby county and changed 
his occupation to farming and rais- 
ing live stock. He has been industriously 
occupied in these pursuits ever since 
until a few months ago, when he de- 
termined to retire from active pursuits 
and moved to Shelbina, where he is now 
living in comfort and contentment after 
a long and arduous struggle for ad- 
vancement in prosperity and enduring 
many privations and hardships at dif- 
ferent periods of his life. 

Mr. Powell has been successful in his 
undertakings, winning a competence for 
himself and his family and rising to a 
high position in the regard and good 
will of the people of this county. He has 
been active in promoting their welfare 
and given them an excellent example in 
elevated citizenship. His political con- 
nection is with the Republican party, of 
which he is an earnest and zealous mem- 
ber, and in religion he is affiliated with 
the Christian church at Lentner. Fra- 
ternally he belongs to the Masonic order 
and the Grand Army of the Republic. On 
July 10, 1866, he was united in marriage 
with Miss Eusebia Meeter, of Beloit, 
Wisconsin. She is still living. They 
have no children. Mr. Powell's four 
score and three years sit lightly on him. 
He is still a man of vigor and enterprise, 
as earnestly interested in the progi-ess 
of his county and state, as faithful and 
energetic in the performance of the 
duties of citizenship, and as genial, 
obliging and companionable in social re- 
lations as he ever was. He is justly 



esteemed as one of the best and most 
estimable men in Shelby county. 

HUGH W. WOOD. 

.Viming at no high-flown or spectac- 
ular success in life, and seeking no ave- 
nues to preferment but that of honest 
fidelity to daily duty in his chosen voca- 
tion, but adhering steadfastly and zeal- 
ously to that, Hugh W. Wood, one of 
the substantial and prosperous farmers 
and stock men of Lentner township in 
this county, has made steady progress 
in advancement and attained a position 
of prominence and permanency in the re- 
spect and good opinion of the people in 
all ijarts of this and the adjoining coun- 
ties. 

Mr. Wood is wholly a product of 
Shelby county. He was born within its 
borders on April 11, 1861, obtained his 
education in its public schools, has 
passed all the active years of his life to 
the present time (1910) in helping to pro- 
mote its industrial and commercial 
growth and the elevation of its civil and 
social institutions, and taken the mistress 
of his home and helpmate in life's ardu- 
ous struggle from among its agreeable 
daughters. All that he is, therefore, 
Shelby county has made him, and all 
that he has done and achieved has re- 
dounded to its credit and advantage. 

It is to be said, however, that he had 
native force and capacity which enabled 
him to take advantage of the opportuni- 
ties presented for his betterment, and 
has shown great industry and business 
acumen in managing his affairs. He is 
a son of John Wesley and Kitty (Robb) 



4555 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Wood, the former a native of Kentucky 
and the latter of the state of Tennessee. 
The father's fatlier, "William Wood, was 
also born and reared in Kentucky, where 
his parents were among the pioneers of 
that great and progressive state. There 
John Wesley Wood, father of Hugh W., 
was born on May 3, 1831, and from there 
he accompanied his jiarents to Missouri 
and Shelby county in 1835, when he was 
but four years old. He grew to man- 
hood and secured a common school edu- 
cation in the primitive coimtry schools 
of his boyhood, the best then attainable 
in the undeveloped state of this region. 

After leaving school he started the 
battle of life for himself as a farmer on 
a tract of forty acres of wild land. This 
he reduced to subjection and fertility, 
improved it into a comfortable country 
home and, as his prosperity increased, 
added to its extent by additional pur- 
chases. He is now seventy-eight years 
of age and is still actively engaged in 
farming and raising live stock, his farm 
now comprising 180 acres of superior 
land and being all under skillful and 
vigoi'ous cultivation. It is located three 
miles northwest of Shelbina. 

Mr. Wood, the elder, married Miss 
Kitty Robb, a native daughter of Ten- 
nessee, as has been stated, but long resi- 
dent in this county. Of the nine chil- 
dren born of this union six are living: 
Meredith, the wife of Malcolm Swear- 
inger, of Shelbina ; Hugh W., the subject 
of this sketch ; Meretta, the wife of L. W. 
Duncan ; T^aura Frances, the wife of 
Ollie Fletcher; and Myrtle, the wife of 
W. H. Tenney, all residents of Shelby 
county, the hist named having her home 



in Shelbina. The father adheres faith- 
fully and firmly to the Democratic party 
in i)olitical matters and belongs to the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in 
his religious relations. 

Hugh W. AVood was educated in the 
public schools of Shelby county and, 
after completing their course of instruc- 
tion, helped his father on the home fann 
until he reached the age of twenty-seven 
years. In the autumn of 1888 he began 
the career in farming and raising live 
stock which he is still extending. Hi?f 
tine farm of eighty-five acres is a model 
of its size and capacity in the develop- 
ment to which it has been brought and 
the skill and intelligence with which it is 
managed. For, having no ambition in 
any other line of effort, Mr. Wood stud- 
ies what he is engaged in and applies to 
his operations in both farming and the 
live stock industry all that he can ac- 
quire of valuable information from ju- 
dicious i-eading and reflection. All this 
is greatly to his credit and of material 
benefit to his township and county, in 
which he has always manifested a very 
active and helpful interest. 

On October 3, 1888, Mr. Wood was 
united in marriage with Miss Mary L. 
Fletcher, a daughter of Charles A. 
Fletcher, who was a ])rominent resident 
of Shelbina. His political allegiance is 
given to the Democratic party and in all 
its campaigns he is one of its service- 
able and ap])reciated workers, although 
never seeking any of its honors or offi- 
cial positions for himself. His religious 
affiliation is with the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, South, and in this also he 
takes an earnest and productive interest. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



453 



as lie does in the work of all church or- 
ganizations without regard to creed or 
denominational differences. 

JOHN T. DAVIS. 

Looking well always to the interests 
of his country and freely offering his life 
and all its energies to the service of that 
country, whether the call of duty took 
him to the gory field of battle trampled 
by the relentless iron heel of civil war or 
those white with the harvests of peace- 
ful and productive industry, John T. 
Davis, one of the leading and most suc- 
cessful farmers and live stock men of 
Jackson township in this county, has vin- 
dicated his patriotism and sterling citi- 
zenship in peace and war. 

He was boi-n in Marion county, Mis- 
souri, in 1833, and is a son of Gabriel and 
Cynthia (Kinkaid) Davis, the former a 
native of Kentucky and the latter of Vir- 
ginia. They were married in 1832 and 
had six children, two of whom are living: 
John T. and his brother Wallace, who is 
also a resident of Shelby county. The 
father was born in 1809 and came to Mis- 
souri in 1828. Through the agency of 
his ancestors and other hardy pioneers 
his native state had by that time been 
largely redeemed from its wild and un- 
pruned condition and made highly pro- 
ductive and progressive. But when he 
became a resident of Missouri at the age 
of nineteen he found the frontier condi- 
tions still extensively prevalent and him- 
self face to face with the problem that 
had engaged the energies of his fore- 
fathers one and two generations earlier 
in Kentucky. But he was of heroic 
mold and accepted the situation and its 



obligations with cheerfulness, entered 
upon the duties before him with alacrity 
and did his part toward the development 
and improvement of the region in which 
he had taken up his residence with dili- 
gence and tidelity to every requirement. 
He located in Marion county and en- 
gaged in farming and raising live stock, 
which he followed continuously and with 
success until 1884, when he retired from 
active labor. In 1848 he sold his Marion 
county property and bought a farm in 
Shelby county, on which he passed the 
remainder of his life and died in 1894. 
He was a Republican in political faith 
and allegiance from the foundation of 
the party and always gave its principles 
and candidates his earnest and effective 
support. 

John T. Davis was educated in the 
country schools of this county and after 
leaving school learned the carpenter 
trade. He worked at this until 1864, 
when he enlisted in the Union army. 
Company F, Thirty-ninth Missouri In- 
fantry, under command of Captain Poe. 
The Civil war was in its last stage of 
vigor, however, at the time of his enlist- 
ment, and his militarj^ service lasted 
only six months. At the end of that time 
he was mustered out of the army at St. 
Louis, Missouri. He was ready for more 
arduous trials in the service than he ex- 
perienced, as he was familiar with mili- 
tary tactics and knew something of the 
possible hazards and hardships of war, 
having belonged to the state militia for 
some years before the Civil war began 
and during the war until his enlistment. 

After his discharge from military 
service he returned to his Shelby county 
home and remained there two years. In 



•154 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



1867 lie bought a farm of fifty acres and 
to its development,, improvement and 
proper cultivation he devoted himself 
with all his energy- until a short time ago. 
He now has his farm worked by a tenant 
but still employs himself in light tasks in 
connection with its management. He has 
prospered as a fanner and stock man, 
and has attained to general esteem and 
approval as a citizen. He gives his ear- 
nest support to the Republican party in 
political affairs and is jjotential in its 
service. His fraternal relations with the 
Grand Army of the Republic are main- 
tained in active membership and devoted 
loyalty to that organization, and his re- 
ligious convictions find expression in 
zealous and hel])ful connection with the 
Southern Methodist Episcopal church. 
He was married in 1867 to Miss Ange- 
line Davis, of New York state. They 
have had three children, two of whom 
are living: Alma, at home, and Linneus 
I., who resides in the state of Texas. 
The mother of these children died Feb- 
ruary 8, 1905. 

CHARLES A. GRAVES. 

Among the substantial, prosperous 
and progressive farmers and live stock 
men of Jackson township, this county, 
none stands higher tlian Charles A. 
Graves, whether his industry, good 
management and success in his business 
or the elevated character and continued 
usefulness of his citizenship is taken as 
the gavige of his merit. He is well and 
widely esteemed for both, and it is con- 
ceded on all sides that he is fully worthy 
of the high rank he holds in the general 



esteem of the people wherever he is 
known. 

Mr. Graves was born in Marion 
county, Missouri, on March 31, 1858, but 
has been a resident of Shelby county for 
many years. He is a son of James and 
Martha (Janes) Graves, natives of Ken- 
tucky, who were married in Kentuckj'', 
and had eleven children, three of whom 
are living: Ellen, the wife of John W. 
Hubbard, pf Monroe City, Missouri; 
Henrietta, the wife of R. D. Rogers, who 
resides in Oregon; and Charles A., the 
interesting subject of this brief review. 
The father settled in Marion county, this 
state, long before the Civil war and was 
busily engaged in farming and raising 
live stock until the end of his life. He 
belonged to the Democratic party in po- 
litical allegiance and the Catholic church 
in religious faith and obedience, and 
gave earnest attention to the interests 
of both. 

Charles A. Graves obtained a limited 
common school education in the country 
schools of this county, and after leav- 
ing their course of training began the 
struggle for advancement in life by 
working on farms in the neighborhood 
of his home, in addition to what he did 
there, assisting his mother, who was 
then a widow. Some time later he 
moved to this county and bought a 
farm. On this he has worked hard and 
steadily, but with .indgment and profit, 
ever since, making it higlily productive 
and improving it with judicious taste, 
re-creating it into one of the attractive 
rural homes of the township in which it 
is located. He has carried on, in con- 
nection with his fanning operations, a 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



455 



flourishing live stock business, raising 
many head of stoclv and feeding num- 
bers for the markets. In botli lines of 
his endeavor he has been very success- 
ful, l)ecause he has applied intelligence 
as well as gi-eat energy to his work. His 
farm now comprises 160 acres and is 
nearly all under cultivation. 

Mr. Graves has suffered many dis- 
asters in his career as a farmer and 
stock man, but these never disheartened 
him. On the contrary, they seemed to 
awaken latent powers of enterprise in 
him and stimulate him to broader vision 
and still greater activity. In the local 
affairs of the county, and especially 
those of his township, he has taken a 
very earnest interest and rendered very 
helpful service. He has been a member 
of the school board three years, is a 
stockholder in the Hunnewell bank, and 
in many other ways has contributed to 
the advancement and imi:)rovement of 
this portion of the state and the endur- 
ing welfare of its people. 

He was first married on February 1, 
1880, to Miss Louisa Howe, a resident of 
Shelby county, and by this marriage be- 
came the father of five children, all of 
whom are living. They are : Artie, who 
resides in Marion county, Missouri; 
James, whose home is in the state of 
Montana ; Estes Vai"ian, a resident of St. 
Louis, Missouri ; Josie, the wife of M. 
Miller, of California; and Letha Ethel, 
who also lives in California. The father 
was married again December 20, 1905, 
uniting with Mrs. Cora E. (Kellogg) 
Snider, of this county. They have one 
child, their son Charles Lyman, who is 
still at home with his parents. The 
father is a Democrat in his political re- 



lations and belongs to the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, South, in his religious 
affiliation. He is regarded as one of the 
leading and most useful citizens of his 
township. 

JAMES W. HOWE. 

James W. Howe, widely known m 
northwestern Missouri as one of the 
most successful and ijrogressive farmers 
and public spirited citizens of Shelby 
county, whose fine farm of 420 acres is 
located in Jackson township, is a native 
of this county and was born on July 7, 
1846. His father, Samuel R. Howe, was 
born in the state of Kentucky and came 
to Missouri at an early date, while the 
greater part of the state was still on the 
frontier and its resources were yet wait- 
ing for the commanding might of mind 
and the energy of the pioneers aud their 
followers to call them into productive- 
ness and the service of mankind. He 
located in Shelby county and here he 
was continuously and successfully en- 
gaged in farming and raising live stock 
until his death in 1877. 

He was married to Miss Nancy David- 
son, of this county, and they became the 
parents of eight children, all of whom 
are living -. Susan, the wife of J. E. How- 
ell; John, also a prosperous fai-mer; 
James W., the immediate subject of this 
memoir; Eliza Ann, the wife of George 
See; Francis, another contributor to the 
agricultural greatness of Shelby county; 
Margaret, who resides in the neighbor- 
hood of her birthplace; Rebecca, the wife 
of Harvey Rivercomb; and Louisa, the 
widow of the late Charles Graves. They 
are all residents of this county. The 
father was a Democrat in politics and a 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



457 



sturdy manhood of the English, uniting 
both with the thrift and resourcefulness 
that distinguish the people of New 
England. 

Mr. Phillips was born in Wyoming 
county, New York, on June 16, 1841, and 
is a son of William H. and Pliileta (Pier- 
son) Phillips, the former a native of 
New Hampshire, born in 1801, and the 
latter born in 1810 and reared in Con- 
necticut. The father was a farmer and 
passed the whole of his life after the 
removal of the family to the state of 
New York on the parental homestead 
actively engaged in farming. He died in 
1869, but throughout his career relied 
on his own exertions for advancement, 
and never made much of the fact that he 
was a descendant of Lord Phillips of Ire- 
land. In politics he was a Whig until 
the extinction of the party, and after 
that a Republican. He and his wife were 
the parents of eight children, five of 
whom are living — Arabella, of Harvey, 
Illinois; Mary, of Lakenan, in this ooim- 
ty; Kitty P., the widow of H. ]\I. John- 
son, and now a resident of Live Oak, 
Florida ; and the immediate subject of 
this brief review; Bessie Y., now the 
widow of William H. Cushman, resides 
at Phoenix, Arizona. 

Eugene C. Phillips obtained his edu- 
cation in the i)ublic schools of Erie 
county. New York. On leaving school he 
showed his fidelity to the Union by en- 
listing for the Civil war in the Thirty- 
third New York Battery of Light Artil- 
lery imder Capt. A. M. Wheeler. The 
battery was an inde]iendent organiza- 
tion, but wholly devoted to the cause of 
the Union and worked in perfect har- 
mony and co-operation with the Federal 



forces. It was stationed most of the 
time at or near Petersburg, and was ac- 
tively engaged in all the operations 
around that historic center of the storm 
of the great Civil war. 

Mr. Phillips was mustered out of the 
service in June, 1865, and returned to 
the home of his parents in Erie county. 
New York, and worked his father's farm 
as a tenant for two years. In the spring 
of 1870 he became a resident of Mis- 
souri, locating on a farm he purchased 
in Shelby county. He cultivated and im- 
proved this farm until 1908, and in con- 
nection with his farming operations car- 
ried on an extensive enterprise in stock 
breeding. In the year last mentioned he 
retired from active pursuits and has 
since been enjoying the rest to which his 
long years of faithful and productive 
toil entitled him. He has his farm rented 
and gives his attention to other interests 
which command and reward it. He is a 
stockholder in the Commercial Bank of 
Shelbina, and is now and long has been 
a stockholder in and director of the 
Farmers' Mutual Fire Association of 
Shelby County. 

In March, 1867, Mr. Phillips was mar- 
ried to Miss Helen Churchill, of Niagara 
county, New York, and by this marriage 
liecame the father of thi'ce children, all 
of whom are living. They are: Edwin 
P., of Hannibal, Missouri ; Gertrude, 
who is the wife of Robert McUlvoy, of 
Troy, Missouri, and Ernest, a successful 
business man, now living in Chicago. In 
politics the father is an ardent Prohibi- 
tionist and in religion a devout and ser- 
viceable member of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, South. He is well es- 
teemed in the county and is favorably 



458 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



known in all parts of it. He has been 
helpful in developing it and is looked 
upon as one of its most worthy and es- 
timable citizens. 



JAMES A. SPENCER. 

The interesting subject of this brief 
memoir, whose death on April 4, 1904, 
cast a gloom over the whole community 
in which he had so long been a leading 
citizen, successful merchant and pros- 
perous and progressive farmer, was a 
native of Marion county, [Missouri, 
where he was born on July 14, 1841. He 
was a son of Edward G. and Margaret 
(McElroy) Spencer, who were natives 
of Kentucky. They were married in 
Kentucky and had twelve children, five 
of whom are living: "Wilson, a resident 
of Saline county, Missouri; Mollie, the 
wife of Douglas Ricks, of Taylorville, 
Illinois; Edward and Dorris, whose 
homes are in this county; and Henry C, 
who lives in Kansas City, Missouri. 

The father came to Missouri at an 
early day and located in Marion county. 
There for a number of years he was 
prosperously engaged in farming, but 
late in life he changed his residence to 
Lafayette count j% and there he died in 
1871. He was a man of force and prom- 
inence, active in the early history of the 
locality in which he lived, esteemed by 
all who knew him, and desen^ing their 
regard and approbation by his upright- 
ness and good influence as a man and 
his progressiveness and usefulness as a 
citizen. 

His son, James A. Spencer, was edu- 
cated in the public schools in Shelby- 
ville and Paris, Missouri, and after se- 



curing his own mental training for the 
duties of life shared the benefits he de- 
rived from it with others by teaching 
school at Paris for some years. He 
moved to Shelby county in 1869 and lo- 
cated at Hunnewell, where he followed 
the drug business four years. At the 
end of that period he changed the seat 
of his activity to Monroe county and 
his occu])ation to farming. His mind 
was too versatile and active to be con- 
fined to one line of employment, how- 
ever, and in 1875 he returned to Hun- 
newell and to merchandising in connec- 
tion with his farming and live stock in- 
dustries. He was first a grocer and 
afterward a general merchant, carrying 
on an extensive business in each line 
and winning a very gratifying success 
in both. He was also postmaster of 
Hunnewell four years. 

In 1894 he sold all his mercantile in- 
terests and began an active and suc- 
cessful career in the real estate business, 
still continuing his farming operations. 
His farm at that time comprised 253 
acres, and this he enlarged by successive 
purchases until at the time of his death 
he owned and had under vigorous and 
progressive cultivation 753 acres. On 
this farm he passed the last twenty-six 
years of his life, and in that period 
greatly improved it and increased its 
value, making it one of the best and most 
desirable in Jackson township, in which 
it was located. He was also a stock- 
holder in the Hunnewell bank, and was 
actively and sei-viceably connected with 
other institutions of value to the com- 
munity of his home. 

On October 5, 1869, Mr. Spencer united 
in marriage with Miss Mary A. Rags- 



HISTOIIY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



459 



dale, a daughter of James and Sallie 
(Deaver) Eagsdale, of Monroe county, 
this state. ]\Irs. Spencer was born on 
December 3, 1849, and is still living. She 
and her husband became the parents of 
eight children, seven of whom are living. 
They are : James E., died September 29, 
1910; Sidney IL; Kipley C; Nellie A., 
the wife of T. J. Greening ; Eichard R. ; 
Earl; Leta, the wife of Clancy Fitzsim- 
mons ; and Orrie M., the wife of Charles 
M. Yancy. They are all residents of 
Shelby county. The parents were active 
and useful members of the Christian 
church. They were esteemed as among 
the best and most worthy citizens of 
the county and enjoyed the regard and 
good will of the whole people. 

SIDNEY H. BROWNE, JR. 

Of good old Pennsylvania stock, and 
inheriting from his ancestry the traits 
of industry, thrift and persevering self- 
reliance which are characteristic of the 
people of that great industrial hive, Sid- 
ney H. Browne, Jr., one of the enter- 
prising and prosperous farmers and live 
stock men of Jackson township, in this 
county, has employed his native ability 
and used his opportunities to great ad- 
vantage in improving his own worldly 
condition and helping to push forward 
the welfare and progress of the locality 
of his home. He has aptly exemplified 
on the soil of Missouri the qualities of 
diligence, frugality and good manage- 
ment that have so signally advanced the 
prosperity and made the greatness of 
his ancestral state, although he is not 
a native of it. 

Mr. Browne was born in Quincy, Illi- 



nois, on February 1, 1871, and is a 
grandson of George Blight Browne, a 
well-to-do business man of Pennsylva- 
nia, and a son of Peter A. and Lavena 
(Jordan) Browne, also natives of Penn- 
sylvania, the latter born in the city of 
Philadelphia. The father's life began 
in 1837 and he became a resident of Mis- 
souri in 1872, after a residence of some 
years in Quincy, Illinois, and Hannibal, 
Missouri. On their arrival in this state 
the parents located at Huunewell, where 
they lived one year. They then moved 
to a farm one mile and three-quarters 
from that town. The father engaged in 
farming and raising live stock, and also 
dealt extensively in cultivators for the 
benefit of the farmers living aroimd him, 
and for his own profit as well. He was 
in this line of mercantile business about 
eight years. On March 10, 1900, his life 
ended on the old homestead. 

He and his wife were the parents of 
six children, five of whom are living: 
Elizabeth J., the wife of F. E. Swift, of 
Hunter, Oklahoma; George Blight, a 
resident of Burlington, Iowa ; Sidney H., 
the subject of these paragraphs: Pene- 
lope, the wife of J. A. 'Daniel, of Hun- 
newell; and Kenton S., who also lives 
at Hunnewell. The father was a Re- 
publican in his political faith and al- 
legiance, and earnestly interested in the 
welfare of his party, although he was 
never a very active partisan. His fra- 
ternal affiliation was with the Independ- 
ent Order of Odd Fellows. 

Sidney H. Browne, Jr., had the prep- 
aration for the battle of life usually se- 
cured by boys of his class and surround- 
ings. He was trained to useful labor 
on his father's farm and in scholastic 



460 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



development and acquirements in the 
public schools, attending them at Hun- 
newell. Since leaving school he has been 
continuously engaged in farming and 
raising live stock with increasing pros- 
perity and progressive intelligence. He 
has not only given his business close 
and careful attention in a manual way, 
but has studied its requirements and 
possibilities, applying to his operations 
the best information he could gather 
from reading and reflection, and he has 
been successful accordingly. He is a 
stockholder in the Farmers and Mer- 
chants' Bank and has interests in other 
profitable connections. 

On December 19, 1895, he was united 
in marriage with Miss Olive Dill, who 
was born on November 6, 1873, and is a 
daughter of F. j\I. and Heneretta (Sel- 
sor) Dill, highly respected residents of 
this county. One child has been born of 
the union, a son named Francis Marion, 
who is living at home with his parents. 
The father is a zealous and active mem- 
ber of the Eepublican party in his politi- 
cal alliance. His fraternal connection is 
with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
lows, and he and his wife are devoted 
adherents of the Southern Methodist 
Episcopal church. 

PETER A. SNIDEE. 

(Deceased.) 

After a trying and adventurous ex- 
perience during the first few years of 
his manhood, which embraced the haz- 
ards of sectional strife on the battle 
fields of the Civil war and confinement 
in a military prison, a surveillance of 



months under a military parole and a 
residence and struggle for existence in 
a state distant from his home and all 
the associations of his boyhood and 
youth, Peter A. Snider settled down to 
farming and raising live stock, and be- 
came one of the prosperous, enterpris- 
ing and progressive men engaged in 
those pursuits in Jackson township of 
this county. 

Mr. Snider was born near Columbus, 
Ohio, on June 29, 1841, and was a grand- ( 
son of Peter Snider, a native of Ger- 
many, who came to this country and lo- 
cated in Pennsylvania in his early man- 
hood. He is a son of John Henry and 
Barliara (Rupright) Snider, the former 
born in Pennsylvania in 1818, and the 
latter a native of Germany. After their 
marriage they lived for a time in Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, near the capital city 
of Columbus. They moved to Hannibal, 
Missouri, in 1842, and after a residence 
of four years in that city, came to Shelby 
county and took up their residence on 
a farm on which the village of Kendall 
now stands. The father also opened a 
general store there, which he conducted 
for six or seven years, then moved his 
stock of goods to Hunnewell, but still 
retained his farm at Kendall. He con- 
tinued his mercantile operations at Hun- 
newell until the troublesome times inci- 
dent to the Civil war destroyed his busi- 
ness and ended his mercantile career. 
He then returned to his farm, where he 
died in 18G3. 

His first wife, the mother of Peter A. 
Snider, their only child, died while the 
latter was still in his childhood, and 
some time afterward he was united in 
marriage with Miss Sarah Utz, a resi- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



461 



dent at the time of Shelby county. By 
his second marriage he became the 
father of eight children, seven of whom 
are living: Charles, a resident of Lake- 
nan; Marion F., a sketch of whom ap- 
pears in this volume; John and Henry 
F., who also reside in this county, a 
sketch of the latter being included in this 
work; Belle, the wife of Frank Erwiu; 
Joseph, another prosperous Shelby 
county citizen; and Ida, the wife of 
Thomas 'Daniel. In his political al- 
legiance the father belonged to the Dem- 
ocratic party and gave it loyal and ef- 
fective service. His religious affiliation 
was with the Presbyterian church. 

Peter A. Snider obtained his educa- 
tion in the district schools of this county 
and a gi'aded school in Ilunnewell. 
After leaving school he worked on the 
farm with his father until 1862, when 
he enlisted in the service of the Confed- 
erate army under Gen. Joseph Porter. 
But he found military life altogether in- 
tolerable to him, and, after being in the 
armj^ two months, just before the battle 
of Kirksville he returned to his home 
and surrendered to Federal General 
McNeil, who was then in command of 
this military district. Under orders 
from General McNeil he was taken to 
St. Louis and incarcerated in a military 
prison. After languishing in this i^lace 
of torture from October, 18()2, to Sep- 
tember, 18()3, he was released on parole 
to await further orders. He then again 
returned to his home, and six months 
later was set free from his parole. 

Being thus at liberty to do as he 
pleased, and finding the state of life in 
his home locality one of incessant strife 
and deadly hazard, he went to Califor- 



nia to remain until the war should be 
over. In 18(36 he came back to Shelby 
coimty and began farming and raising 
live stock, in which he has been continu- 
ously and profitably engaged until his 
death. May 29, 1910. He i^rospered in 
his undertakings since the war, in a 
worldly way, and rose to high esteem 
and consideration among the people of 
his township. He owned 160 acres of 
good land, which he had highly im- 
proved, and nearly all under intelligent 
and profitable cultivation. 

In November, 1867, Mr. Snider was 
united in marriage with Miss Martha 
Utz, of this county. They had six chil- 
dren, five of whom are living: Anna 
May, the wife of Oscar Blackford, of 
Shelbina ; Noah, an esteemed resident of 
this county; Barbara, the wife of "\V. S. 
Parker, also living here; Winifred, the 
wife of Larue Wood, of Sedalia, Mis- 
souri; and Abbie Belle, who is still at 
home with her mother. In politics the 
father was a staunch and active Demo- 
crat, and was a member of the Methodist 
E2:)iscopal church, South. He was held 
in high approval by the people around 
him and was considered a most estima- 
ble and worthy citizen. 

WESLEY BAKER. 

Of Pennsylvania ancestry and Iowa 
nativity, and for some years a resident 
of Kansas and twenty-one years of Mis- 
souri, Weslej' Baker, of Jackson town- 
ship, in this county, where he is a pros- 
lierous and progressive farmer and live 
stock man and a highly esteemed citizen, 
has had the influence of four of the great 
states of the American Union in molding 



462 



HISTORY OF SHP:LBY COUNTY 



his career, and that influence has worked 
well to his advantage and the benefit of 
the several communities in which he has 
lived. He has done his part to be worthy 
of it and true to the incentives of indus- 
try, frugality and enterprise it has given 
him, using his opportunities with judg- 
ment and making them all minister to 
his advancement and the good of the 
peoi)le among whom he has dwelt. 

Mr. Baker was born in Poweshieak 
county, Iowa, on December 7, 1861. His 
father, John Baker, was born in Beaver 
coimty, Pennsylvania, in October, 1834, 
and his grandfather, Richard W. Baker, 
was also native in that state. In his 
young manhood the father took passage 
on the tide of migration to the throb- 
bing West and established for himself 
a new home in Poweshieak county, Iowa. 
There, in 1859, he was mari-ied to Miss 
Julia Stanley of that county, and he is 
still living in the state. He was reared 
on a farm and he has followed fai-ming 
continuously from his boyhood. He and 
his wife became the parents of eight 
children, five of whom are living: Mary, 
the wife of Paul Nelson, of Eochester, 
Minnesota; Wesley, the interesting sub- 
ject of this brief review; George M., a 
resident of Iowa; Clara A., who also 
lives in that state; and Cora, the wife 
of Albert Sexton, another member of 
the family whose home is in Iowa. In 
politics the father is a Eei^ublican. 

His son Wesley was educated in the 
district schools of his native county, and 
after completing their course of instruc- 
tion, worked for a short time for his 
father on the home farm. But he was 
ambitious to do something material and 
considerable on his own account, and 



accordingly he rented some land in the 
neighborhood of his home, which he 
farmed for four years. At the end of 
that period he left Iowa and went to 
southwestern Kansas, where he took up 
a homestead. He lived on this and im- 
proved it until he received a government » 
patent for it. In 1890 he sold his home- 
stead in Kansas and sought another new 
home in Shelby coimty, Missouri. 

He looked foi-ward to his opportuni- 
ties in this count}'^ with high hopes and 
pleasing anticipations of advantage to 
himself, and cheerfully dared all the dan- 
gers and privations of a journey to his 
new location overland in a covered 
wagon. The journey was made in 
safety, the destination was reached with- 
out greater inconvenience than the weari- 
ness incident to the long trip and slow 
progress, land was secured in Jackson 
township on his arrival, and he at once 
began the career in farming and raising 
live stock which is still in progress, and 
which has made him one of the substan- 
tial farmers and stock men of the county 
and raised him to consequence and gen- 
eral esteem among the people here. 

,Mr. Baker now has a farm of 330 
acres, all under cultivation, highly im- 
proved with good buildings and in an 
advanced state of iiroductiveness. He 
is also a stockholder and vice-president 
of the Hunnewell Bank, and has other 
interests of value in the county. But 
his own affairs have not been allowed to 
engross all his time and energy. He 
has taken an earnest interest and active 
part in those of his township and county 
and rendered them good service. For a 
number of years he has been one of the 
leading members of the local school 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



463 



board, and in many other ways has been 
influential and effective in helping to 
advance public, business and social in- 
terests to the advantage of the people, 
the development of the locality of his 
home and the general welfare of the 
county and state. 

On December 23, 1896, Mr. Baker was 
united in marriage with Miss Sarah Bell 
Perry, a resident of this county. Six 
children have blessed their union and 
five of them are living. They are: Ura 
A., John T., Walter 0., Charles L. and 
George W., all of whom are still mem- 
bers of the parental household. Po- 
litically the father is a Democrat; fra- 
ternally he is an Odd Fellow, and in re- 
ligious affiliation he belongs to the Mis- 
sionary Baptist church. He is regarded 
as one of the leading citizens of his town- 
ship, enteri^rising and progressive, in- 
telligent and broad-minded, and true to 
every public and private duty. 

HENEY F. SNIDER. 

A native of Shelby county, and hav- 
ing passed his whole life to this time 
within its borders engaged from his 
youth in helping to promote its indus- 
trial, civil and social life, Henry F. Sni- 
der, of Jackson township, has been of 
great service to this portion of the state 
and admirably ujiheld the credit of his 
family, two other members of which have 
honorable mention in this work. He has 
been successful in building up his own 
estate, although he began the struggle 
for advancement among men with prac- 
tically nothing in the way of capital but 
his own natural ability and determined 
spirit, and the same qualities have made 



him both useful as a citizen and worthy 
of the high esteem in which he is held as 
a man. 

Mr. Snider was born on October 2, 
1857, near where he now resides, and is 
a son of Jolm Henry and Sarah (Utz) 
Snider, the story of whose lives of suc- 
cess and disaster is told in a sketch of 
his half-brother, Peter A. Snider, to be 
found on another page of this history. 
Since leaving the country school in which 
he obtained his scholastic training, 
Henry has been continuously and profit- 
ably engaged in farming and raising 
stock for the markets. He has a fann 
of 100 acres of superior land, all of which 
he cultivates with skill and industrJ^ and 
which he has improved with good build- 
ings and other necessary structures. 

Mr. Snider takes a warm and service- 
able interest in the alTairs of his town- 
ship and county, rendering the people 
excellent returns for their confidence in 
calling him to the school board, of which 
he has been a member and the clerk for 
a number of years, and in numerous 
other ways proving himself worthy of 
their regard and efficient in tlieir behalf. 
He was married on October 25, 1883, to 
Miss Fanny B. Metcalf, of Howard 
county, this state. Of the four children 
which have blessed their union and 
brightened their hoiisehold three are liv- 
ing: John W., who resides in this 
county; Lillian F., the wife of Forrest 
McGlasson, of Pullman, state of Wash- 
ington; and Henry H., who still dwells 
under the parental rooftree. 

The father gives his political alle- 
giance and su])]:)ort to the Democratic 
party and is at all times zealous in its 
service. Fraternally he is allied with 



464 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



the Court of Honor, and to the welfare 
and progress of this order he is earnestly 
and actively devoted. His religious con- 
nection is with the Methodist Episcopal 
church, South, of which he is a live and 
helpful member, giving a good man's 
share of attention to the affairs of his 
congregation and his due portion of as- 
sistance toward all its worthy and benefi- 
cent undertakings of every kind. 

HEDGEMAN PICKETT. 

Of old Virginia ancestry, but a native 
of Missouri, and having passed the whole 
of his life to the present time (1911) 
within its borders, Hedgeman Pickett, of 
Bethel township, combines in his char- 
acter and make-up the best traits and 
characteristics of the people of both 
states, and is a ci'edit to each. His gi"and- 
father, 8anford Pickett, came from his 
native state of Virginia to Missouri 
among the early pioneers of this part of 
the state and located on a farm in Shelby 
county, where he died after years of 
great usefulness to the locality. 

Hedgeman Pickett, who was born in 
Bethel townshij), this county, on Jan- 
uary 1, 1859, is a son of Hiram and Eliz- 
abeth (Eookwood) Pickett, natives of 
Fauquier county, in the Old Dominion, 
where the father was born on August 
10, 1822. He came to Missouri when he 
was thirteen years of age with his par- 
ents and grew to manhood on the family 
homestead, near Betliel. After com- 
pleting his education he began a very 
successful career as a fanner, which 
lasted until his death on ^liwrh 29, 1S90. 
He was also prominent and influential m 
the public life of the county, displaying 



great enterprise and public spirit in its 
development and improvement, carrying 
into matters of general concern the same 
energy, breadth of view and progres- 
siveuess that characterized him in the 
improvement and cultivation of the 9G0 
acres of land he owned when he died. 

His marriage with Miss Eookwood oc- 
curred in 1854. They became the par- 
ents of twelve children, eight of whom 
are living — ^^Sanford H., a resident of 
Quincy, Illinois; Hedgeman, the imme- 
diate subject of this memoir ; Jennie Lee, 
the wife of John H. Bue, of this county, 
a sketch of whom will be found in this 
work ; Annie, the wife of J. A. Green, of 
Woodward, Oklahoma ; John and James 
S., residents of this county; Gabrella, 
the wife of C. R. Douglas, also residing 
in Shelby county, and Oscar W., whose 
home is in Shelby county, too. Jennie 
and Annie, named above, are twins. The 
father was a Democrat of the most pi'o- 
nouuced and active type in his political 
relations. 

Hedgeman Pickett obtained his edu- 
cation in the district schools of Betliel 
township, which he attended at intervals 
until he reached the age of nineteen. He 
then engaged regularly in the employ of 
his father and continued the relation im- 
til 1880. In that year he rented a por- 
tion of the fai-m on which he now resides 
and bought two years later what he had 
been renting, its extent being eighty 
acres. He has ever since been energet- 
icallj", studiously and successfully occu- 
pied in farming and raising and feeding 
live stock, advancing to great ]iros]ierity 
in his business and high standing and 
universal esteem as a man and citizen. 
His farm now comprises 600 acres, all 



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H 
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



465 



but forty of which are under skillful and 
systematic cultivation according to the 
most ajjproved methods of husbandry. 
It is one of the best and most valuable 
farms in tlie township, and has been 
made so by his persistent industry and 
the wisdom and intelligence with which 
he has managed his business and looked 
after every detail of the work. 

But Mr. Pickett has not employed his 
energy and capacity wholly in his own 
affairs. He is a progressive and public- 
spirited man and takes great interest in 
the needs and ]iossibilities of the com- 
munity around him and does all in his 
power to promote its welfare. He is a 
school director and has been road com- 
missioner, rendering approved service to 
the people in botli offices and retaining 
their eontidence and regard by his gen- 
eral and active work in their behalf in 
many ways and holding their admiration 
and his widespread popularitj^ by the ex- 
cellent example he gives as a citizen. 

Mr. Pickett was married on Feliruary 
17, 1880, to Miss Sarah Catherine Allen, 
who was born in Shelby county on Sep- 
tember 17, 1861, a daughter of David 
and Sarah Ann (Ford) Allen, natives of 
Kentucky, but long esteemed, prominent 
and useful residents of this portion of 
Missouri, having come to Shelby county 
many j^ears ago. The union has resulted 
in the birth of six children, five of 
whom are living — Edgar, who is farm- 
ing on his own account in this county, 
and Sylvia, Frank, Bessie and Charles, 
who are dwelling yet under the family 
rooftree and helping to enliven the 
parental family circle. In politics the 
father is a Democrat of firm convictions 
and continued loyalty to his party. He 



is influential in its councils and effective 
in its service, but he neither seeks nor 
desires any of its honors or emoluments 
for himself, being well content to serve 
the state from the honorable post of pri- 
vate and faithful citizenship. His wife 
is an active and interested member of 
the ^Missionary Baptist cliurch. 

MARION F. SNIDER. 

Owning 211 acres of excellent land in 
Jackson township, this county, and 
making this the base of active, enter- 
prising and progressive industries in 
farming and raising live stock, Marion 
P. Snider stands among the leading men 
in the township engaged in those pur- 
suits. He is also held in high esteem as 
one of the influential and sei'viceable 
citizens of the township, with cordial in- 
terest in the progress and development 
of the region in which he lives, integrity 
and uprightness of life as a man, and 
energy and breadth of view with refer- 
ence to public atfairs as the foundation 
on wliicli the popular estimation of his 
worth rests. 

Mr. Snider was born in Shelby county, 
Missouri, on May 6, 1850. He is a half- 
brother of Peter A. Snider, in a sketch, 
of whom, to be found elsewhere in this 
book, an account is given of the lives of 
his father and mother, John Henry and 
Sarah (Utz) Snider, long residents of 
the county and accounted as among its 
most estimable citizens. After obtain- 
ing the limited education which the 
Shelby county country schools of his 
boyhood and youth afforded, the subject 
of this brief review worked on his 
father's farm and assisted the family 
imtil 1872. 



466 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



By this time Mr. Snider 's mind was 
firml}^ fixed on establishing a home of 
his own, and in accordance with his de- 
sire to do this, he began farming and 
raising live stock on his own accoimt. 
Although his progress was slow at first, 
it has been steady from the beginning. 
The way before him was ascending and 
rugged, for he was without material re- 
sources, and had nothing but his per- 
sonal qualities of head, heart and spirit 
to depend on, but he ke])t climbing it, 
whatever the difficulties, and as he 
gained higher ground and surer footing, 
he enlarged his estate and his business 
operations in proportion to his increas- 
ing prosperity. 

His farm, as has been stated, com- 
prises 211 acres and it is well improved, 
highly developed and veiy productive. 
It is all under cultivation and is tilled 
with intelligence and vigor, every acre 
being made to yield the best result the 
most advanced modern agricultural 
methods can produce, according to the 
season and other circumstances. He 
studies his work with earnest thought 
and reflective observation, and he ap- 
plies the information he thus gains to 
all his efforts with energy and zeal that 
leave nothing to chance, in so far as such 
industry can overcome or command it. 

In December, 1873, Mr. Snider united 
in marriage with Miss Ella Coleman, of 
Hannibal, Missouri. Three children 
were born to them, but one of whom is 
living, their daughter AUie P., the wife 
of Alvin Lippincott, who lives in this 
county and stands well among the people. 
Her father follows faithfully the for- 
tunes of the Democratic party and is 
loyal in his service to it, although he 



seeks none of its honors or profits for 
himself. He and his wife are zealous 
and devoted members of the Southern 
Methodist Episcopal church and are held 
in high regard as useful forces in the 
congregation to which they belong. 

BYRON L. SAYIFT. 

Although not a native of Missouri, 
Byron L. Swift, one of the successful 
farmers and representative citizens of 
Salt Eiver township, has lived in Shelby 
county most of the time since he reached 
the age of five years, when he came to 
this state and county with his parents. 
He grew to manhood on the soil of 
Shelby county, drew from it his stature 
and his strength, obtained his education 
in its public schools and from the dawn 
of his maturity has been engaged in 
helping to promote its industrial great- 
ness and power in his quiet and unas- 
suming way, but with material enter- 
prise and substantial results for the 
good of the people. 

Mr. Swift was born in the town of 
Richfield, Summit county, Ohio, on 
^larch 20, 18(50, and is a son of Stiles P. 
and Delia Elizabeth (Stofer) Swift, the 
former a native of Michigan and the lat- 
ter of Ohio. In 1863 the father moved 
to Missouri and located in Shelby county. 
His family came two years later. Here 
he practiced medicine in the Homeopa- 
thic school for a number of years, and 
also conducted farming oiiei'ations in 
connection witli raising live stock. In 
18fi5 he changed his residence to Shel- 
bina and there devoted himself wholely 
to the practice of his profession. Some 
vears afterward he moved to Burlin- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



407 



game, Kansas, but only remained two 
years. From there lie moved to North 
Topeka, Kansas, and there he remained 
actively engaged in a large practiee as 
a physician until his death, November 
17, 1900, aged seventy-eight years. 

In 1848 he was united in marriage 
with Miss Delia Elizabeth Stofer, at the 
time a resident of Ohio, as lie was, and 
they became the parents of six children, 
three of whom are living: Burton D., 
a resident of this county; Byron L., the 
subject of this brief review; and Lillie 
B., the wife of Jacob Griggs, whose home 
is in Parsons, Kansas. After the death 
of his first wife he again married, March 
23, 1893, his second wife being Miss 
Miriam A. Blakeslee, who survives him. 
In his political allegiance the father was 
a devoted member of the Kepublican 
party from its birth to his own death, 
and he gave the organization the best 
service in all its campaigns he was ca- 
pable of, although never seeking any of 
its favors for himself or allowing its 
demands to interfere in any way with 
his business. 

Byron L. Swift was reared on his 
father's farm, and as soon as he left 
school began farming and raising live 
stock on his own account. He has stead- 
fastly adhered to these occupations in 
spite of many temptations to give his 
attention to other callings, and has made 
his operations in them substantially 
profitable to himself and of very material 
benefit to his township and county. He 
has conducted his business with enter- 
prise and intelligence, studying the best 
modem methods in connection with it 
and applying the results of his observa- 
tions with excellent judgment and con- 



tinuous industry, progressiveness and 
breadth of view. 

He was married on October 25, 1893, 
to Miss Katy A. Wolfe, of New Orleans, 
Louisiana. The five children born of 
the union are all living and all yet mem- 
bers of the parental family circle. They 
are: Ruby, William, Bessie, Katy and 
Byron. Their mother died on August 
27, 1908. The father is a Republican in 
his political connection, with an earnest 
and unceasing interest in the welfare of 
his party, and at all times renders it all 
the service he can. Fraternally he be- 
longs to the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows, in which, also, he takes an active 
and serviceable interest. The enduring 
welfare of his township and county is a 
matter of constant concern and energetic 
effort on his part, no worthy undertaking 
involving it going without his earnest, 
intelligent and helpful assistance. He is 
regarded as one of the best and most 
useful men in his locality. 

JAMES POLK CONNAWAY. 

"While the great state of INIissouri at- 
tracted the attention and commanded the 
admiration of the world during tiie late 
Spanish-American war by her prolific 
production of superior mules well 
adapted for hardy service and long en- 
durance, which enabled her to supply 
all the requirements of the American 
army with this necessity of modern war- 
fare, she is no less entitled to credit for 
her great industry in the production of 
high grade horses for almost every use 
to which the noble animal is put in the 
service of mankind. 

The pre-eminence of the state in bring- 



468 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ing forth this product as a creation for 
use, enjoyment and commerce has not 
been so pronounced as in connection with 
the other four-footed animal of great 
utility, and no great public exigency has 
brought the name of Missouri into uni- 
versal notice in reference to it, but the 
industry is, nevertheless, an extensive 
one in the commonwealth and engages 
the energies of a large number of the 
people here, many of whom have na- 
tional reputations for the excellent qual- 
ity of their output in this line. 

Among this niunber Polk Connaway, 
of Salt River township, Shelby county, 
is in the front rank and he well deserves 
the high standing he enjoys in connec- 
tion with the industry. He has made a 
si^ecialty of it for many years and be- 
come an authority on every feature and 
department of the business and his name 
is as familiar as a household word in 
every horse market in the country that 
has any general and widespread reputa- 
tion of its own or is frequented by deal- 
ers of extensive trading. 

Mr. Connaway was born on February 
22, 1871, in Shelby county, Missouri. 
His parents, John Henry and Anna 
(Swain) Connaway, were born and reared 
in the state of Delaware, and there their 
forefathers lived from colonial times. 
The father, who came into being in 1841, 
was a son of Minus Connaway, who lived 
on a farm in Delaware which the family 
had occupied for generations. He was 
prominent in the affairs of the little 
state, whose proud boast has often been 
that she "produces greatness, not big- 
ness," and his son had the prospect of a 
career at home in line with the long 
habits and stimulating examples of his 



ancestors. But the West wore a winning 
smile for him, and he yielded to its per- 
suasive blandishments, coming to Mis- 
souri at an early day in his own life and 
that of the state. ' 

He located on a fanii in Shelby 
county, three miles west of Shelbina, 
and there he faiTued and raised live 
stock actively, extensively and success- 
fully until 1908, when he retired from 
active labor. Since then he has made his 
home with one or another of his chil- 
dren. He was married to Miss Anna 
Swain, and they became the parents of 
eight children, six of whom are living: 
Mary, the wife of Frank Barnes, of Ohio ; 
Polk, the interesting subject of this writ- 
ing; Frank, who is also a resident of 
tliis county; Ollie, the wife of Charles 
Ra])lee, of Shelby county; John, another 
member of the family who dignifies and 
adorns the citizenship of this county; 
and Mattie, now Mrs. Earl Porter, of 
Palmyra, Missouri. The father is a Re- 
publican in politics and a member of the 
Southern Methodist Episcopal church in 
religious affiliation. 

Polk Connaway was educated in the 
countiy schools of Shelby county, and 
after leaving school worked on his fa- 
ther's farm and others in the vicinity 
until 1895. He then began farming and 
raising live stock in a general way on 
his own account, and has been ener- 
getically and successfully engaged in 
these pursuits from that time to the 
present. Soon after starting in busi- 
ness for himself he determined to give 
his whole attention in the stock industiy 
to the production and handling of su- 
perior strains of horses, making that his 
specialty and allowing no other line to 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



469 



interfei'e with his extensive operations 
in it. He has been very successful in the 
business and, as has been noted, has 
reached considerable jirominence and 
won a national repiitation for himself in 
it as one of the best and most intelligent 
horsemen in the state of his residence. 

On February 5, 1895, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Sallie Churchwell, 
of Shelby county, Missouri. The five 
children born of this union are all living 
and still reside under the parental roof- 
tree. They are: Anna Valience, James 
Lester, Ethel C, Mattie Hazel, and an 
infant daughter, named Tomie D. The 
father gives his active support and loyal 
allegiance to the principles and candi- 
dates of the Republican j^arty in political 
affairs, and to the Modern Woodmen of 
America in fraternal relations. He is 
highly esteemed for his public spirit and 
enterprise in connection with the prog- 
ress and improvement of his township 
and countj'^, and held in strong regard 
for the elevated character and general 
usefulness of his citizenshii?. 

HUGH DEMPSEY. 

Starting with practically nothing in 
the way of financial resources, and now 
owning and cultivating a fine farm of 
195 acres in an advanced state of im- 
provement and productiveness, Hugh 
Dempsey, of Salt River township, in this 
county, furnishes an impressive illustra- 
tion of the possibilities of industry, en- 
terprise, thrift and good business man- 
agement in our land of unmeasured re- 
sources and great wealth of opportunity. 
His career also gives another proof of 



the versatility, adaptability and readi- 
ness for any conditions so characteristic 
of the Irish race, and its powers of 
achievement in every field of human en- 
deavor to which it sedulously devotes 
itself, whatever the circumstances. 

Although liorn in Adams county, Illi- 
nois, on November 7, 1852, Mr. Dempsey 
is but one generation removed from the 
Emerald Isle, where his father, Charles 
Dempsey, and his mother, Sarah (Demp- 
sey) Dempsey, were born and reared, the 
father's life beginning in that country 
in 1815, and the mother's two or three 
years later. The father came to the 
United States a very young man and lo- 
cated first in Pennsylvania. A few years 
afterward he moved to Adams county, 
Illinois, and in 1866 brought his family 
to Missouri and took up his residence in 
Shelby county. Here he was ener- 
getically and continuously engaged in 
farming and raising live stock until his 
death in 1882. 

By his marriage to Miss Sarah Demp- 
sey he became the father of eight chil- 
dren, six of whom are living: Edward 
J., of St. Louis, Missouri; Hugh, whose 
life story this review especially records; 
Lizzie, the wife of Marshall Baker, a 
resident of this county; Nancy, the wife 
of William Barry, of St. Louis ; Charles 
Mark, who is also a resident of this 
county ; and Margaret, the wife of 
Thomas Finney, another member of the 
family who is adding to the growth, im- 
provement and prosperity of Shelby 
county. In politics the father adhered 
to the Democratic party and in religion 
to the tenets of the Catholic churcli. 

His son Hugh obtained a limited com- 



470 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



mon school education in tlie district 
schools of his native county and those of 
this county. At an early age, even be- 
fore attaining his majority in years, he 
began farming and raising stock on his 
own account, and from the beginning of 
his venture in these two lines of industry 
he has been successful and steadily in- 
creased in prosperity, having acquired 
the ownership of 195 acres of good farm- 
ing land, as has been noted, and brought 
it to a high state of fruitfulness. 

Mr. Dempsey has also steadily risen 
in the good opinion and appreciation of 
his township and county. He was foui*- 
teen when he became a resident of the 
county, and during the forty-four years 
of his I'esidence among its people has so 
demeaned himself as a man and been so 
active and useful as a citizen that he has 
won universal regard and good will in 
this part of the state. He rendered ex- 
cellent service to the jmblic as a mem- 
ber of the local school board for a period 
of fifteen years, and in reference to every 
other public interest has always been 
active and heli)ful in behalf of the en- 
during welfare of the locality of his 
home. 

On Deceml)er 28, 1875, he was married 
to Miss Jane Baker, a daughter of Rea- 
son and Dorenda (Dudgeon) Baker, long 
esteemed residents of this county. Of 
the six children born to the union, four 
are living, all of them still in the parental 
family circle. They are: Charles E., 
Georgia, Anna and Reason B. The fa- 
ther belongs to the Democratic party in 
politics and the Catholic church in re- 
ligion. He is firm in his allegiance to 
both party and church and a faithful 
worker in each. 



JAMES S. BARKER. 

Venerable in years and venerated for 
his long usefulness to his country in 
many different localities and lines of en- 
deavor, inchiding faithful services on the 
battlefield and activity in several of the 
industries of peaceful production, James 
S. Barker, of Salt River township, is 
one of the memorable and striking per- 
sonages in Shelby coimty. At the ad- 
vanced age of ninety, he is resting from 
labor and enjoying the twilight of his 
long day of toil, amply provided for by 
the competence he has gained through 
his own efforts, and secure in the high 
regard of the people of the whole county 
because of the uprightness, consistency 
and general worthiness of his career 
among men. 

Mr. Barker was born in Lycoming 
county, Pennsylvania, on April 21, 1821. 
His grandfather located in that state on 
his arrival in this country from Ireland, 
where his family had dwelt for many 
generations. For a time he resided at 
Carlisle, in Cumberland county, and 
there his son, John Barker, the father 
of James S., was born, in 1773. The 
greater part of John Barker's life was 
]iassed in Carlisle, but he died at Lock- 
haven, Clinton county, in 1850, having 
moved to that city from the adjoining 
county of Lj^coming some time previ- 
ously. He was a millwright and worked 
at the trade for a time. But he was 
most ])rominently and extensively known 
as a very successful pilot on the Sus- 
quehanna river. 

Tn 1801 he was married to INfiss Nancy 
Ramsey, also a native of Pennsylvania. 
Of the ten children born to them, only 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



471 



one is now living, James S. His older 
sister, Elizabeth, the wife of William 
Dunn, of Great Island, Pennsylvania, 
died in October, 1910, in her ninety-ninth 
year. The father was a man of great 
force of character and wonderful phy- 
sique and endurance. The trials and ex- 
actions of his life on the river, the nerv- 
ous strain under which he constantly la- 
bored, the dangers of his calling, the rig- 
ors of the seasons and rage of the ele- 
ments to which, he was frequently sub- 
jected, all passed over his stalwart 
frame in vain. He lived to the age of 
seventy-seven and retained much of his 
vigor of bodv and all of his clearness of 
mind to the last. 

James S. Barker obtained his educa- 
tion in the district schools of his native 
county, and while attending them ac- 
quired a good knowledge of blacksmith- 
ing, working at the trade when he had 
leisure from school sessions. After 
leaving school he followed the craft for 
a time with success and good prospects. 
But the outbreak of the Mexican war 
called him to higher duties, and he en- 
listed in the American army under Col. 
John C. Hayes, being enrolled in Com- 
pany K, First Regiment, on July 3, 1847, 
at Dallas, Texas, where he happened to 
be at the time, having made the trip 
from Shelbyville on horse back, over 
1,300 miles. He served to the end of 
the war and took part in several engage- 
ments, notably the battle of Laquelta- 
pan, which was a hot fight in which the 
Mexican loss was 150 men killed. Mr. 
Barker was mustered out of the service 
on April 30, 18-18, at Vera Cruz, Mexico, 
the war having been ended by the treaty 
of Guadalupe Hidalgo. 



Mr. Barker did not, however, work at 
the trade of blacksmithing until the be- 
aiuuina' of the Mexican war. He became 
a Susquehanna river pilot, like h i s 
father, and was employed as such until 
1842. He then came to Missouri and lo- 
cated at Walkersville in this county. In 
connection with his brothers, George and 
Tliomas, he built four mills on Salt river, 
but soon after their completion all but 
one, a saw mill, were washed away in a 
flood. This the three brothers operated 
until 1849. James then sold his inter- 
ests in the mill to his brothers, and the 
next year he returned to Pennsylvania 
and again became a pilot on the Susque- 
hanna, continuing as such four years. 
In 1854 he came back to Missouri and 
once more located in Shelby county. 
Here, during the next two years, he 
farmed in connection with Charles 
Smith, his father-in-law. At the end of 
the period named he opened a general 
merchandising establishment at Walk- 
ersville, which he conducted with great 
success and profit for two years. But 
mercantile life was not to his taste, and 
in 1858 he sold his business and returned 
to farming and raising live stock, in 
which he was very actively and exten- 
sively engaged until about ten years ago. 
Then advancing years impelled him to 
retire from all active pursuits, although 
he was at the time and is now in good 
health. 

On July 17, 1849, Mr. Barker was 
united in marriage with Miss Sibbella 
Smith, of this county. Eight children 
were born of their union and six of them 
are living: Emma Belle, the wife of An- 
drew Baker, of this county; William, 
who lives in California; Elizabeth, the 



472 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



wife of James A. Kent, of Shelby 
county; Caroline, the wife of James 
Cooter, of Holden, Missouri; Jennie L., 
the wife of John W. Wilson; and Ger- 
trude, the wife of John H. Lancaster. 
The two last named are residents of 
Shelby county, Missouri. The wife and 
mother died October 20, 1893, aged sixty- 
three years. 

Mr. Baker's political faith has been 
pinned to the Republican party from its 
organization, and he has at all times 
given it loyal support, acting on honest 
convictions in this, as he does in every- 
thing else. For many years he has found 
entertainment and inspiration in the 
teachings and social features of the Ma- 
sonic fraternity and the Order of Odd 
Fellows, and religious comfort in the 
doctrines of the Christian church, of all 
of which he has been ftn active and con- 
sistent member. His life in the past, his 
present peace and contentment, and his 
hopes for the future give force to the 
words of the Psalmist: "Behold the up- 
right man, for the end of that man is 
peace." 

HENRY WILL. 

'Mr. Will, who is one of the substantial 
citizens, large landholders and success- 
ful business men of Shelby county, main- 
taining his home in the village of Bethel, 
has been a resident of this county from 
the time of his liirth and is a scion of one 
of its sterling pioneer families, the name 
which he bears having been identified 
"with the annals of the county for more 
than half a century. 

Mr. Will was born in the village of 
Bethel, this county, on July 15, 1848, and 



his father was one of the original mem- 
bers of the colony here founded by a 
number of substantial and worthy citi- 
zens of German birth or ancestry. John 
Will, grandfather of the subject of this 
review, was a native of Germany and 
passed the closing years of liis life in 
Missouri. Mr. Will is a son of Nicholas 
and Catherine (Ziegler) Will. Tbey 
were both natives of Germany. Their 
marriage was solemnized in Shelby 
county, ^Missouri, in 1847. The father 
came to this county in 1845 and to Amer- 
ica in 1839. He became one of the colo- 
nists at Bethel, where he followed his 
trade, that of tailor, until the colony was 
disbanded, and thereafter he devoted 
his attention to farming on a small scale 
and to the raising of bees, being long 
known as one of tlie successful apiarists 
of this section of the state, and continu- 
ing to be actively identified with this line 
of enterprise until his death, wliich oc- 
curred on October 25, 1900, at which 
time he was seventy-nine years of age, 
having been one of the honored and well 
known pioneer citizens of the county. 
His devoted wife was summoned to the 
life eternal December 12, 1902, at the age 
of seventy-seven years. She came to 
America in 1831 and to Bethel in 1844. 
The mother had been a zealous member 
of the Methodist Episcopal church and 
the father had been a supporter of the 
cause of the Re])ul)Hcaii ]iarty from the 
time of its organization until his demise. 
Of the ten children five are mentioned in 
this sketch. Of the number the subject 
of this sketch is tlie eldest; Christine is 
the wife of Henry Schriever, of Bethel; 
Julius E. is a resident of Green City, 
this state; Louise is the wife of Freder- 




HENRY WILL 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



473 



ick Pfliiin, of Shelby coimty, and Frank 
now resides in Albany, Oregon. 

Henry Will i:iassed his boyhood and 
yonth in his native village of Bethel, in 
whose schools he seonred his early edu- 
cational training. After the breaking np 
of the colony he followed various occu- 
pations, in connection with which he de- 
veloped no little versatility. In 1879 he 
engaged in work as a brick mason, to 
which vocation he devoted his attention 
for a few years, after which he was asso- 
ciated with his brother Julius E. in the 
conducting of a wagon repair shop for a 
period of seven years. They then en- 
gaged in the hardware business at 
Bethel under the timi name of Will 
Brothers, and they were associated in 
this enterprise for thirteen years. Tjike 
his father, Mr. Will has achieved suc- 
cess and no limited reputation as an 
apiarist, and to this interesting line of 
enterprise he has given special attention 
the past few years, finding the same a 
source of definite profit and conducting 
operations on an extensive scale. He has 
also been prominently identified with 
farming and stock growing, but now 
rents his fine farm property, which com- 
prises 316 acres and which is eligibly 
located in Bethel township. In 1892 Mr. 
Will became one of the organizers of the 
Bank of Bethel, of which he was elected 
president in January, 1907, serving in 
this office for one year, since which time 
he has continued as a valued member of 
the directorate of the substantial and 
po])ular institution. 

Though essentially loyal and public 
spirited as a citizen and taking much in- 
terest in all that tends to conserve the 
progress and prosperity of the commu- 



nity, Mr. Will has never been a seeker of 
])ublic office. He is aligned as a staunch 
supporter of the principles and policies 
for which the Republican party stands 
sponsor, and both he and his wife hold 
membership in the Methodist Episcopal 
church in their home village, where they 
are held in high regard by all who know 
them. 

On April 3, 187-t, Mr. Will was united 
in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Schriever, 
who was born and reared in this county, 
and who is a daughter of the late Sam- 
uel Schreiver. The six children of this 
union are: Elizabeth, who is the wife of 
Edward G. Bower, of Bethel, and Louise, 
Emma, Alma, Irwin R. and Catherine 
R., all of whom remain at the paternal 
home. Emma is now Mrs. William 
Erich, of Bethel township; Alma is now 
Mrs. John Brothers, of Bethel township. 

WILLIAM S. FOX. 

He whose n-ame introduces this sketch 
was for many years engaged in the gro- 
cery business in Shelbina, gaining rec- 
ognition as one of the leading repre- 
sentatives of the mercantile fraternity 
in this attractive little city, where he 
still maintains his home, and where he 
now conducts one of the leading grocery 
stores and meat markets. He is held in 
unqualified esteem in the town that has 
so long been his home and is well entitled 
to consideration in this history of his 
county. 

Mr. Fox was born on a farm near the 
village of Paris, Monroe county, Mis- 
souri, January 5, 1867, and the lineage 
of the family is traced back through sev- 
eral generations in America, his pater- 



474 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



nal grandfather, James C. Fox, having 
been a native of Kentucky. In that state 
also was born Joseph H. Fox, father of 
our subject. The former was reared and 
educated in liis native commonwealth, 
and as a young man he came to Missouri 
and took uj) his residence in Monroe 
eountj', where he became a successful 
farmer and also built up a large and 
prosperous business as a dealer in mules. 
His wife, whose maiden name was Mar- 
tha M. McKinney, was born in the state 
of Missouri, Monroe county, and both 
are now deceased, the honored father 
having passed away in 1899 and the 
mother in 1871. In politics the father 
was a staunch adherent of the Demo- 
cratic party, taking an intelligent inter- 
est in the issues of the hour and being 
loyal and liberal in his attitude as a citi- 
zen. He was affiliated with the Masonic 
fraternity and botli he and his wife were 
zealous and valued members of the 
Christian church. Of their nine children 
all are living excejjt one, and concerning 
them the following brief record is given : 
James A. is a resident of Louisville, 
Kentucky; Maiy M., a maiden ladj^ re- 
sides in the city of St. Louis ; AValter L. 
is a resident of Fort Collins, Missouri; 
Alice M. is the wife of James B. West, 
of St. Louis; Annie E. is the widow of 
Arthur W. Skinner and resides at Har- 
per, Kansas; Edward L. maintains his 
home in Hannibal, Missouri; William S. 
is the immediate subject of this review; 
and Louise T. is the wife of Albert N. 
Wiles, of Quincy, Illinois. 

William S. Fox passed his boyhood 
days on the home farm and after com- 
pleting the curriculum of the public 
schools of Shelliina he continued to as- 



sist in the work of the home farm for a 
short interval, at the expiration of which, 
in 1894, he engaged in the grocery busi- 
ness in Shelbina, where he built up a 
large, prosperous and essentially repre- 
sentative trade, based upon fair and hon- 
oi'able dealings and upon his care and 
discrimination in catering to the de- 
mands of his patrons. He was specially 
effective as a buyer and his store was 
looked upon as a model establishment 
of its kind. He continued the enterprise 
with ever increasing success until Oc- 
tober, 1908, when he sold the same, and 
for two years was employed as a travel- 
ing salesman for the Scudders-Gale Gro- 
cery Company, of Quincy, Illinois, which 
he re})resented in a good territory in 
this state, though still maintaining his 
home in Shelbina, as has already been 
stated. He was one of the popular com- 
mercial men of his native state and his 
success as a traveling salesman was on 
the same high plane as was that he ma- 
tured in connection with his individual 
l)usiness as a retail grocer. In Decem- 
ber, 1909, Mr. Fox resigned his position 
as traveling salesman and in the spring 
of 1910 again engaged in the retail gro- 
cery and meat business at Shelbina, 
where he is now enjoying a large and 
constantly increasing trade. -^Ir. Fox 
is aligned as a staunch su])]iorter of the 
])rinciples and policies for which the 
Democratic party stands sjwnsor, is pro- 
gressive and ]niblic-spirited as a citizen, 
is identified with several fraternal and 
social organizations, the Masonic frater- 
nity, K. of P. and I\r. W. of A. Both he 
and his wife hold membership in the 
Christian church. 

On October 25, 1888, Mr. Fox was 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



475 



united in marriage to Miss Margaret M. 
Gresbam, who was born and reared in 
Marion county and wbo is a daughter 
of John Gresbam, now deceased. Mr. 
and Mrs. Fox have two children — Por- 
ter G., wbo is now employed in a busi- 
ness with his father at Shelbina, and 
C. Brace, who remains at the parental 
home. 

JOHN BEO.WN. 

John Brown, a native and all his life 
to this time a resident of Shelby county, 
and until three years ago one of its 
leading farmers and live stock men, is 
now one of the prosperous and promi- 
nent citizens of Shelbina, where he is 
energetically and extensively engaged in 
business as an auctioneer and general 
dealer in live stock. He was born near 
Bethel, this county, on June 28, 1855, 
and obtained bis education in the dis- 
trict school near bis home, living on bis 
father's farm and attending the sessions 
whenever be found opportunity amid the 
exactions of active farming o^jerations. 

His grandfather. Eleven Brown, was 
a native of Kentucky, where bis parents 
settled in early days when that now 
great state was still a part of the fron- 
tier, but rapidly filling up with hardy 
and stalwart pioneers. Bedford Brown, 
the sou of Eleven and father of John, 
was ])oru at Frankfort, Kentucky, in 
1820, and came to Missouri when he was 
but sixteen years of age, finding in this 
state at that early period much the same 
conditions that his forefathers had 
found in Kentucky when they arrived in 
it. He located for a short time at Pal- 
myra, then moved to Shelby county and 
took up bis residence on a farm near 



Bethel. There be followed farming and 
general stock-raising until his death. 
Wiien that event occurred be owned 240 
acres of land and an extensive live stock 
business. He was energetic and know- 
ing, took advantage of his opportunities 
with good judgment and used them with 
intelligence and skillful management. 
Success crowned all bis eiforts and gave 
him, in connection with his high char- 
acter and public spirit, consequence and 
standing among the people. His spe- 
cialties in stock were horses and mules, 
and he raised great numbers of each. 

In about 18-18 be was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Elizabeth Todd, a na- 
tive of Maryland, and by that uu^rriage 
became the father of ten children, all 
of whom are living. They are: Eliza, 
the wife of Henry Nichols, of this 
county; Alexander, who resides in Kirks- 
ville, Missouri; John, the immediate sub- 
ject of this sketch; Benjamin F., also a 
resident of this county ; Lucinda E., the 
wife of James Nelson, of Sheridan 
county, Kansas; Fannie, the wife of 
Frank Taylor, of Shelby county; Lillie, 
the wife of Al. Taylor, who also resides 
in this county; Julia, the wife of James 
Gentry, of Kirksville; Kittle, the wife 
of Tom Will Garrison, of Shelby county ; 
and Joseph, whose home is in Knox 
county. The father was a member of 
the Democratic party in political faith 
and allegiance and belonged to the Mis- 
sionary Baptist church in religious con- 
nection. 

John Brown was trained to farming 
and raising stock, and gave bis attention 
to these pursuits immediately on leav- 
ing school. He also bought considerable 
numbers of stock for shipment to East- 



47G 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ern markets. He was very successful 
in his operations ou the farm, and con- 
tinued them along progressive and jarof- 
itable lines until February 1, 1907. At 
that time he moved to Shelbina, and 
during the subsequent years has been 
very successfully engaged in auctioneer- 
ing and dealing in live stock generally. 
He understands his business thoroughly 
and gives it his whole attention. His 
success is therefore a logical result of 
capacity, enterprise and first rate man- 
agement, combined with excellent judg- 
ment. He was married in 1878 to Miss 
Amanda T. Gentry, of Ralls county, this 
state. They have had ten children, three 
of whom are living, John and Paul, of 
Rexford, Kansas, and Mark, of Shelby 
county, Missouri, all of whom have in- 
herited the business capacity of their 
father and are doing well in their sev- 
eral callings and localities, and, like him, 
are highly respected by the people 
around them. 

ARTHUR E. JORDAN. 

This enterprising, prosperous and 
highly successful farmer and live stock 
man and respected citizen of Jackson 
township in this county, was born in the 
state of Indiana on August 26, 1863, and 
came with his parents to Missouri and 
Shelby county when he was eight years 
of age. He is a son of Philip W. and 
Nancy H. (Coffman) Jordan, an account 
of whose lives will be found in a sketch 
of his brother, William A. Jordan, pub- 
lished in this volume and containing a 
narrative of the family history. 

Mr. Jordan acquired his education in 
the Oak Dale, Shelby county, public 
school, and, after completing the course 



of study available to him in that temple 
of Cadmus, began at once a career as a 
farmer and producer and shipper of live 
stock, which he has continued to the 
present time and in which he has suc- 
ceeded admirably by reason of his good 
judgment, fine business capacity and the 
close, intelligent and careful attention he 
has always bestowed upon his business. 
He has also taken an earnest interest 
and active part in the affairs of his town- 
shi]) and was a member of the school 
board for some years. He is a Demo- 
crat in political allegiance, belongs to 
the Court of Honor fraternally, and is 
connected with the Christian church in 
religious alliance. He takes an ardent 
interest in his party, his fraternity and 
his church, and his membership is highly 
valued in each. In 1892 he was united 
in marriage with Miss Ina Vanarsdall, 
of Marion county, Missouri. They have 
had two children and both of them are 
living and still members of the parental 
family circle. They are a daughter 
named Nancy Ruth and a son named 
Guy. The parents stand high in the es- 
timation of the people of the township, 
and common consent will attest that they 
are well deserving of the regard in which 
they are held. 

WILLIAM A. JORDAN. 

Successful and progressive as a 
farmer and producer of live stock, and 
successful because he is progressive, 
William A. Jordan, of Jackson township, 
is also a man of influence and high stand- 
ing as a citizen, and he holds his i-ank 
in this respect because of the elevated 
character and usefulness of his citizen- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



477 



ship. He is not a native of Shelby 
county, but has lived in it ever since he 
was two years old, a period of thirty- 
nine years, and during all the period of 
his youth and manhood has contributed 
to its advancement and improvement. 

Mr. Jordan was born in Indiana on 
May 1:2, 1869, and is a scion of old Vir- 
ginia families, his grandfather, Arthur 
B. Jordan, having been born and reared 
in that state and to a house long estab- 
lished there. In that state, also, Philip 
W. Jordan, the father of William A., was 
born, opening his eyes on this world in 
1836. He left his ancestral home a 
young man and migrated to what was 
then the distant "West, locating in Linn 
county, Missouri, where he was exten- 
sively occupied in farming and raising 
live stock for a number of years. He 
then dwelt for some years in the state 
of Indiana, and in that state he was mar- 
ried in 1862 to Miss Nancy H. Coffman. 

By this marriage Mr. Jordan became 
the father of seven children, six of whom 
are living: Arthur E., a sketch of whom 
will be found in this work; Rosa Lee, 
the wife of Lee Harrison, a resident of 
this county; Dora D., the wife of Lewis 
Parker, whose residence is in the new 
state of Oklahoma ; William A., the sub- 
ject of this brief review; Allie L., the 
wife of James Collier, of Montana; and 
Charles P., whose home is in this county. 

The family moved to Shelby county in 
1871, and here the father followed gen- 
eral farming with great success imtil his 
death, which occurred in 1881. During 
the Civil war he was drafted into the 
Federal army, but the war was so nearly 
over when this occurred that he was 



never called into the service. His po- 
litical support was faithfully and ar- 
dently given to the Democratic party, 
and his religious support with equal con- 
fidence and ardor to the Southern Meth- 
odist Episcopal church. 

William A. Jordan secured a limited 
education in the public school at Oak- 
dale in this county, and excellent train- 
ing in his destined life work on his 
father's farm, on which he remained un- 
til he attained his majority. He then 
began operations for himself as a farmer 
and stock man, and to these pursuits he 
has steadfastly adhered through all the 
subsequent years, except that at times 
he has worked at the carpenter trade, of 
which he acquired a knowledge during 
his minority. He has made a very grati- 
fying success of his endeavors in all his 
undertakings, and is now in easy circum- 
stances in a worldly way and secure in 
the regard and good will of the people 
in his township and throughout the 
county. 

On October 27, 1897, Mr. Jordan 
united in marriage with Miss Edith 
Cochrane, a resident of this county. 
They have had four children, and all of 
them are living, and still at home with 
their parents. They are: Harvey G., 
Mary E., Bessie and Tna Lue. The 
father is firm and faithful in his attach- 
ment to the Democratic party in polit- 
ical affairs and energetic and zealous in 
his support of it. Fraternally he is con- 
nected with the Court of Honor, in which 
he is also active and serviceable. In the 
public affairs of the townshi]i and county 
of his home he has always taken a very 
helpful interest, aiding in every way 



478 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



open to him in their progress and de- 
velopment. He is now a member of the 
school board. 

THOMAS D. MITCHELL. 

In tlie life story and family record 
of this highly enterprising, i)rogressive 
and successful farmer, live stock pro- 
ducer and real estate operator of Jack- 
son township, who is one of the leaders 
in his several lines of activity in this 
county, run golden threads of personal 
and general history, and firm fibers of 
manly achievement, embracing material, 
intellectual and spiritual conquests of 
moment in their immediate and of great 
value in their continuing importance. 
He is the son of one of the early pio- 
neers, who was also one of the early 
school teachers in this part of the state. 
The farm on which he lives was the old 
cami)ing ground of the Methodists in the 
early evangelizing work which made 
them famous and gave them so strong 
a hold on the people in tliis and the ad- 
joining counties. He has himself built 
up a large and profitable business by his 
own endeavors, which has been and is of 
great benefit to all Northeastern Mis- 
souri. 

Mr. Mitchell was born in Shelby 
county, Missouri, on April 14, 1862. His 
father, also named Thomas I). Mitchell, 
was a native of Virginia and first saw 
the light of this world in 1835. He came 
to this ])ortion of Missouri among its 
earlier settlers and located on a farm 
near Emden. This farm he worked dur- 
ing the summer months and during the 
winter he taught school for a number of 
years. His scholastic contributions to 



the advancement of the county were 
based on very little education acquired 
in the schools, for he had not much op- 
portunity for such acquisitions. But he 
was a great reader and student and a 
very well-informed man. "While he 
taught school, and afterward, he pushed 
his fanning operations and the live stock 
industrj'^ in which he was engaged to 
large proportions and considerable ad- 
vantage to himself financially. 

He was joined in marriage with Miss 
Eliza A. Spencer, of Marion county, and 
they became the parents of five children, 
three of whom are living : Thomas D. ; 
his brother, Douglas E., a resident of 
this county; and their sister, Margaret, 
the wife of Horace Warner, who has her 
home in Illinois. The father was a firm 
believer in the principles of the Demo- 
cratic party and gave that organization 
earnest and effective support in all its 
campaigns. In religious connection he 
was affiliated with the Methodist Epis- 
co])al church. South. It is easy to infer, 
if the matter were left to inference, that 
he was an imi)ortant man in the early 
history of his locality. But this is on 
record to his credit, and it is manifest 
from the record that he never neglected 
a public or private duty or betrayed a 
trust. 

His son Thomas had no educational 
advantages except those furnished by 
the district schools of Shelby county. 
And as soon as he left them he began 
th(> career of farming and raising stock, 
which he is still expanding, and in which 
he has achieved both a competence and 
a widespread rei)utation of credit for 
himself, and has also conferred upon the 
region in which he lives substantial com- 




MELCHIOR NOLL 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



479 



niereial benefits. For many years he has 
given his attention in the stock industry 
to raising, feeding and dealing in fancy 
live stock, and he is now known promi- 
nently and favorably for the character 
of his output in all the alert and com- 
manding stock markets of the country, 
and in some other countries as well. His 
farm at present comprises 326 acres of 
superior land, which has been developed 
by every means known to advanced ag- 
riculture and improved with judgment 
and good taste. 

On November 28, 1888, he was mar- 
ried to Miss Bertie Blackburn, a daugh- 
ter of Samuel Blackburn, now county 
judge of Shelby county. They have had 
five children, two of whom are living, 
Horace T. and Mary M., both residents 
of Shelby county. The father is a Dem- 
ocrat politically, and belongs to the 
Court of Honor and the Brotherhood of 
America fraternally, and takes a cordial 
interest in all these organizations. 

MELCHIOR NOLL. 

The great empire of Germany has con- 
tributed to the com]ilex social fabric of 
the United States a most valual)le ele- 
ment of citizenship, and from this source 
our nation has had much to gain and 
nothing to lose. The sturdy equipoise, 
practical judgment and well-directed in- 
dustry that characterizes our citizens of 
German birth or lineage act as a balance 
wheel in connection with the adjustment 
of civic and industrial activities, and 
even the most casual observer cannot 
fail to note that thrift and prosperity are 
in evidence wherever the average citizen 



of German extraction and training di- 
rects his energies. 

^lelcliior Noll, the only representative 
of his immediate family in the state of 
Missouri, is one of the substantial and 
honored citizens of Shelby county and is 
a successful business man of the thriving 
little village of Bethel, where he is en- 
gaged in contracting as a brick mason 
and where he has maintained his home 
for more than thirty-five years, ever 
commanding the most unequivocal con- 
fidence and esteem in the community. 

Mr. Noll was born in Keibersdorf, 
Germanj', on January 6, 18-f8, and is a 
son of Melchior and Madeline (Christ) 
Noll, both of whom passed their entire 
lives in Germany, where the father fol- 
lowed the vocation of farming during the 
major portion of his active career. Of 
the seven children two of the number are 
residents of America, the subject of this 
review being the only representative in 
Missouri, as previously stated. Mr. Noll 
was reared and educated in Germany, 
and in 1872, when twenty-three years of 
age, he severed the gracious ties that 
bound him to home and fatherland and 
set forth to win for himself such ben- 
efices as could be wrested from the hands 
of fortune under the auspicious condi- 
tions existing in America. He had little 
in the way of financial resources, but was 
endowed with ambition, sterling integ- 
rity of purpose, diligence and self re- 
liance, so that he came to the new world 
with an eciuipnu^nt equal to that of many 
others of his countrymen who have, here 
achieved success and independence. Soon 
after his arrival in America Mr. Noll 
made his way westward, and in the sum- 



480 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



mer of 1871 he settled in Hanuilial. Mis- 
souri, in which city he continued to re- 
side until the spring of the followin": 
year, when lie came to Shelby county 
and took up his abode in Shelbina, where 
he followed his trade of brick mason un- 
til 1874, when he established his perma- 
nent home in Bethel, where he has gained 
a large measure of success through his 
well-directed efforts as a contractor in 
the line of his trade, having erected 
many of the liest buildings in this part 
of the county and also having done a 
large amount of other contract structural 
work. His career has been marked by 
indefatigable industry and judicious em- 
ployment of the agencies at liis com- 
mand, the while he has been guided and 
governed by those high principles of in- 
tegrity and honor that ever beget popu- 
lar confidence and esteem. He is one of 
the stoekliolders of the Bank of Bethel 
and is a valued member of its director- 
ate, and he is also the owner of a consid- 
erable amount of improved real estate 
in his home village, including his at- 
tractive and commodious residence. In 
politics, though never a seeker of official 
preferment, he is aligned as a staunch 
supporter of the cause of the Democratic 
party, and both he and his wife hold 
membershij) in the Methodist Episcopal 
church. He is affiliated with Bethel 
Lodge, Xo. 537, Free and Accepted Ma- 
sons. 

In the year 1879 was solemnized the 
marriage of Mr. Noll to Miss Emily 
Will, daughter of the late Nicholas "Will, 
of Bethel, and of their seven children 
five are living, namely: Sophia, who is 
the wife of George Keefe, of Marysville, 
this state; Julius and William, who are 



residents of Bethel ; Ella, who now re- 
sides in Marysville; and Frank, who re- 
mains at the paternal home. ^Irs. Em- 
ily (Will) Noll was summoned to the 
life eternal in July. 1897, and on Novem- 
ber 28, 1S99, Mr. Noll was married to 
Mrs. Alvina C. Arnold, of Bethel, a 
daughter of George Fabler, who was a 
well known citizen of Lewis county. 

JAMES G. BLACKFORD. 

Having enlisted in the Federal army 
in defense of the L'nion when he was 
but eighteen years old and passed the 
next three years in active service, in 
which he faced death on many a well 
fought field of conflict, James G. Black- 
ford, now one of the prosperous and pro- 
gi-essive farmers of Jackson township, 
in this county, began life for himself un- 
der conditions of great danger, priva- 
tion and arduous exactions. He met the 
requirements of those conditions with 
manliness and fidelity, and in their stem 
discipline acquired both self-control and 
self-knowledge which have been of great 
value to him throughout all his subse- 
quent years. 

^Ir. Blackford was l)orn in this county 
on April 13. 18-14, and is a grandson of 
Benjamin Blackford, a native of Ken- 
tucky, and a son of James ^I. Blackford, 
who was also a native of that state. ])orn 
in 1810. The father came to ^lissouri 
among the early settlers and located in 
Clarion county, where he remained until 
183i'. He then moved to Shelby county, 
and there he was actively and success- 
fully engaged in farming and raising 
stock until his death. He was one of the 
leading men in his township and es- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



481 



teemed on all sides as one of its most 
representative citizens. 

He was married to Miss Eliza Deed- 
man, like himself, a native of Kentucky, 
and by this marriage became the father 
of thirteen children, six of whom are 
living: ]\Iary Ann, the wife of William 
Finney; Lney, the wife of Charles Col- 
lier; James G., the subject of this sketch ; 
Clementine, the wife of Jacob Melson; 
Jessamine; Susan, the wife of William 
Fitzpatrick; and Benjamin G. They are 
all residents of this county except Mrs. 
Collier, whose home is in Grimdy county, 
Missouri. The father followed faith- 
fully the fortunes of the Democratic 
party in political affairs, and gave his 
allegiance to the Christian church in re- 
ligious matters. 

The educational advantages of his son, 
James G. Blackford, were limited to the 
curriculum of the district schools of this 
county and his own study, reading and 
reflection. He left school in 1862, when 
he was eighteen years of age, and en- 
listed in the Union army, Company G, 
Second Missouri Cavalry, under com- 
mand of Colonel Lipscomb and Briga- 
dier-General McNeil. He served the full 
three years of his term of enlistment and 
took part in several of the historical bat- 
tles of the war and numerous minor en- 
gagements. His discharge from the 
service came at the close of the war. 

When the "war drum throbbed no 
longer and the battle flags were furled," 
he returned to his Missouri home, and 
since that time has been altogether occu- 
pied with progressive and jirofitable 
farming operations on his excellent 
farm in Jackson township, which now 
comprises 210 acres and is very pro- 



ductive and nearly all under advanced 
and skillful cultivation according to the 
most approved modern methods of farm- 
ing. As he was faithful to his country 
in time of war, so he has been faithful 
to his township and county in time of 
peace, taking an active interest in their 
advancement and improvement, and at 
all times showing an eager desire and a 
willing hand to aid in caring for and 
promoting their best interests. 

On February 14, 1878, Mr. Blackford 
was united in marriage with Miss Mary 
Givans, of this county. They have had 
two children, both of whom are living, 
their sons, Wayne, who resides in Co- 
lumbia, Boone county, and Lloyd, whose 
home is in Shelby county, this state. 
Like their parents, the sons are well es- 
teemed by the people who know them, 
and regarded as excellent men and ex- 
emplars of the most sturdy and sei*vice- 
able American citizenship. 

FEEDERICK G. SPEYERER. 

Farming and raising live stock are 
two of the leading industries of Shelby 
county, and the men who have helped to 
develop them and build them up to their 
present high state of prosperity and 
activity are entitled to high praise and 
the general approval of the people whose 
welfare is promoted by them. In this 
number is to be found Frederick G. 
Speyerer, one of the progressive and suc- 
cessful farmers and live stock men of 
Lentner township, whose operations in 
the industries mentioned have long been 
extensive and fruitful in good for the 
township and the county. 

Mr. Speyerer is a native of Germany. 



482 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



born on j\Iay 29, 1842, and a scion of 
families long domesticated in that coun- 
try. His father, John Speyerer, and 
his grandfather, Frederick G. Speyerer, 
were natives of the Fatherland, and their 
forefathers lived in it for many genera- 
tions. The father was born in 1816 and 
came to the United States in 1852. His 
first location in this country was in the 
state of New York, where he remained 
until 1863. He then moved to Illinois/, 
and in that state passed the remainder 
of his life, busily and profitably engaged 
in fanning. He died there June 11, 1867. 

Before he left his native land he 
served his required term in the German 
army, acquiring in its discipline a con- 
trol of himself and a use of his faculties 
which was of benefit to him throughout 
the rest of his life. In 1841 he was 
united in marriage with Miss Catherine 
Heintz, who was also a native of Ger- 
many. They had nine children, three 
of whom are living: Their sons Fred- 
erick and John, wlio reside in Shelby 
county, and their son Michael, whose 
home is in Texas. In politics the father 
was a Republican in this coimtry, and 
in religion he belonged to the Lutheran 
church. 

Frederick G. Speyerer was but ten 
years of age when his parents brought 
him to this country. His opportunities 
for scholastic training were limited to 
those afforded by the district schools 
of Erie county. New York, but he was 
of a studious mind and rend a great deal 
at home, and in this way acquired a large 
fund of general information. Soon after 
leaving school he became a sailor on the 
great lakes, and gave himself up to the 
hazards of wind and wave for a period 



of ten years. At the end of that time 
he came to Missouri and located in 
Shelby county, and from the year of his 
arrival here he has been very actively 
and successfully occupied in farming 
and raising, feeding and shipping live 
stock. 

He has taken an active part in the 
affairs of the township and county of 
his home, giving his energetic and help- 
ful aid to every commendable undertak- 
ing involving the welfare of their people. 
Politically he is a Republican. Frater- 
nally he is connected with the Indepen- 
dent Order of Odd Fellows, and in re- 
ligion he is affiliated with the German 
Lutheran church. On April 18, 1872, he 
was united in marriage with IMiss Eliza- 
beth Dilcam, of Pennsylvania. Eight 
children were born to them and all of 
them are living: John B., who resides 
in Illinois; George F.. whose home is in 
this coimty; Frederick C, a resident of 
the state of Wyoming; Elizabeth, who 
lives at Marceline, Missouri ; and Etta 
v., Rosa C. Grace and Ino, all of whom 
are still ;it home with their parents. 
The latter stand well in the community 
in which they live and are highly re- 
s])e('ted by the people among whom they 
liave so long lived and labored. They 
are regarded as excellent citizens, with, 
an abiding interest in the substantial and 
enduring good of their coimty and a con- 
stant readiness to promote it in every 
way they can, and in reference to its 
every material, mental and moral need. 

GEORGE W. STALCUP. 

With good old Virginia ancestry to 
give him examples of upright and ele- 
vated living in his family history, and a 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



483 



residence in three states of the American 
Union to give him knowledge of men in 
different parts of the country and the 
varying application of American institu- 
tions to the daily economies of life, ac- 
cording to location and circumstantial 
requirements, George W. Stalcup, of 
Leutner township, Shelby county, has 
had many incentives to duty in his citi- 
zenship, and his nature has resiDonded 
to them in a very satisfactory manner. 
He is progressive, successful and pros- 
perous as a farmer and producer of su- 
perior strains of live stock, leading and 
enterprising as a citizen, and upright 
and esteemed as a man. 

Mr. Stalcup is a native of this county, 
where his life began on January 24, 1863. 
He is a grandson of William Stalcup, 
who was born and reared in Virginia, 
and a son of James Stalcup, also a na- 
tive of that state. The father came to 
Missouri in the early days and located 
in Shelb}' county. Here he was actively 
and extensively occupied in farming and 
raising live stock until the beginning of 
the Civil war. Soon after the start of 
that unfortunate and sanguinary conflict 
between the sections of our land he fol- 
lowed his belief in the doctrine of state 
sovereignty into the Confederate army 
and defended it on the field of battle un- 
til he was killed in the massacre at Cen- 
tralia, Missoui'i. He enlisted imder Cap- 
tain Johnson and his command saw a 
great deal of active service until its ex- 
istence was disastrously ended by the 
event in which he lost his life, along with 
many other brave men who deserved a 
better fate. They dared the hazards of 
war, espousing their caiase wamily and 
defending it valiantly, and they should 



have died, if at all, in fair and open bat- 
tle, as true soldiers always prefer, and 
not in such unmanly and brutal warfare 
as that in which they fell. 

Mr. Stalcup was married in Missouri 
to Miss Mary Byars, like himself, a na- 
tive of Virginia. They had six children, 
Init onl^^ two of them are living: George 
W. and his older brother William, both 
of whom are residents of this county. 
During his life the father was a man of 
force and influence in his community and 
his death was widelj'' lamented. He was 
active in promoting the development of 
his township and county until the iron 
heel of war crushed out all enterprise 
and left every industry inert and lan- 
guishing. But he did his part while he 
had opportunity, and his name is re- 
membered among the people with great 
respect and general approval. 

George W. Stalcup thus had his child- 
hood and youth overshadowed by the 
terrible storm cloud of our Civil war, 
and began life for himself amid trying 
circumstances which were due to it. He 
obtained a limited education in the dis- 
trict schools of Shelby county and after 
leaving school worked on the home farm 
for two years. He then went to Cali- 
fornia in seai'ch of better opijortimities 
for advancement, but only remained in 
that state one year. The next four were 
passed by him in South Dakota. At the 
end of that period he returned to this 
state and Shelby county, and since his 
return has been actively, continuously 
and successfully engaged in farming and 
raising and feeding stock for the mar- 
kets. He has made a specialty of tine 
saddle horses and won a national repu- 
tation for the excellence of his output in 



484 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



this department of the stock industry. 
His farm comprises 235 acres of good 
farm land, is well improved, highly cul- 
tivated and pleasantly located near 
Lentner. On September 18, 1889, he 
was married to Miss Alice Kimble, of 
this county. Two children have been 
born to them, but only one of them is 
living, their daughter Elsie, who is still 
at home with her parents. 

MARK DEMPSEY. 

Forty-four years of the fortj'-seven 
which Mark Dempsey, the present county 
assessor of Shelby coimty, has lived 
have been passed in this coimty, to which 
he was brought by his parents when he 
was but three year's old. He was edu- 
cated in the county schools, acrpiired his 
social habits in free and friendly inter- 
course with the people here, has taken a 
leading part in the industrial life of the 
coimty, and for a number of years has 
been one of its most capable, reliable 
and upright public officials. He is there- 
fore to all intents and purposes a Shelby 
coimtian, although he is a native of 
Adams county, Illinois, where he was 
born, near the city of Quincy. on Sep- 
tember 3, 1863. 

He is a son of Charles and Sarah 
(Dempsey) Dempsej*, natives of Ireland, 
the father born in County Derry and the 
mother in Belfast. The father was 
reared to the age of twenty-one in his 
native land and came to the United 
States about 1833. He first located in 
Pennsylvania and entered the employ of 
the Crane Iron Works at AUentown, in 
that state. But the enormous migration 
from the eastern states to the prairies of 



the West, as it was then, attracted his 
attention and enlisted his interest, and in 
time the influence became so potential 
with him that he joined the tide and 
moved to Adams coimty, Illinois. There 
he engaged in farming for some years, 
and in 1866, when the Civil war cloud 
had vanished from our country, he 
moved his famih' to Missouri and lo- 
cated in Shelby county. On his arrival 
here he bought a tract of unbroken land 
in Jackson township, and to the devel- 
opment and improvement of this he de- 
voted the remaining years of his life, 
which ended in 1877. His widow sur- 
\aved him eight years, dying in May, 
1885. 

Of the eight children born to them five 
are living, and all but one are residents 
of this county. They are : Hugh ; Eliza- 
beth, the wife of Marshall Baker ; 
Nancj', the wife of William Barry, of 
St. Louis, Missouri ; Mark, and Maggie, 
the wife of T. J. Finney. Each of them 
in their several locations and occupations 
exemplifies in daily life the lessons of 
thrift, industry and upright living incul- 
cated around the family fireside and by 
the example of their parents, and each 
is highly respected by all classes of the 
peojile among whom they are known. 

The father was an active and loyal 
Democrat in his political faith, but he 
never held or sought a political office. 
His religious connection was with the 
Catholic church. Some years after he 
was well established in this country, and 
had become a prosperous farmer in 
Adams county, Illinois, his father, Pat- 
rick Dempsey, brought the rest of the 
family to that county, and there he met 
with a tragic fate, being killed by acci- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



485 



dent before he liad much opportunity to 
become acijiiaiuted with the institutions 
and opportunities for advancement in 
tlie land in wliieh he had sought a new 
liome. 

]Mark Dempsey grew to manliood in 
this county and was educated in its pub- 
lic schools, as has been stated. At the 
age of nineteen he began farming as a 
tenant on land he rented, and a few years 
hiter he bought the farm on which he 
now lives in Jackson township, where 
he owns 310 acres and has the whole 
tract under advanced and skillful culti- 
vation. From the time when he began 
farming until now (1910) he has been 
continuously engaged in this interesting 
and progressive pursuit, and in connec- 
tion with his farming operations he has 
conducted also an extensive bitsiness in 
raising and feeding live stock for the 
markets. He has been highly successful 
in both lines of his industry, and has 
risen to consequence and esteem among 
the people as one of their most enter- 
prising, progressive and representative 
citizens. 

So well has he established himself in 
the public regard, and so thoroughly has 
he demonstrated his ability, integrity 
and fitness for official duties, and his 
abiding interest in the welfare of the 
county and its people, that he was elected 
county judge for a term of four years, 
and during the last eight has been the 
county assessor, filling the office with 
great credit to liimself and decided bene- 
fit and acceptability to the people. His 
political allegiance is given firmly and 
faithfully to the Democratic party, and 
he has made himself so serviceable in 
helping to guide its activities and make 



them effective for continued success that 
he has risen to leadership in it and is 
highly esteemed by both its members of 
prominence and its rank and file, all of 
whom have found his counsel wise and 
his energy in the party's behalf con- 
tinuous and effective. 

On January 28, 1889, Mr. Dempsey 
was married in this county to Miss Cath- 
erine Hurley, a native of Adams county, 
Illinois, and a dai;ghter of James and 
Alice Hurley, highly respected residents 
of that county. Six children have been 
born in the Dempsey household and five 
of them are living, and all still mem- 
bers of the parental family circle. They 
are: William Hurley, Edward James, 
Alice Loretta, Margaret and Patrick 
Leo. All the members of the family be- 
long to the Catholic church. 

JOHN ERTEL. 

Although a native of this county, John 
Ertel, one of the prominent and pro- 
gressive farmers of Salt River township, 
this county, is of French parentage and 
ancestry, and comes of a military 
strain. His forefathers fought from 
time to time in the French army, and his 
grandfather made a creditable record 
imder Napoleon, following the eagles of 
the empire from field to field until they 
were altogether overthrown in the his- 
toric battle of Waterloo. In his turn the 
grandson took the field in defense of the 
Union when war desolated our own im- 
hapijy country, and in many a well- 
fought battle admirably sustained the 
examples and history of his family. 

Mr. Ertel was born in Quincy, Illinois, 
on June 26, 1844, and is a son of Daniel 



486 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



and Mary (Louckinbill) Ertel, the for- 
mer in Prance in 1815 and the latter a 
native of Switzerland. The father came 
to the United States in 1832 and located 
in Quincy, Illinois. There he worked as 
a carpenter and millwright until 1860. 
In that year he moved into the country 
in Adams county. Illinois, a few miles 
from Quincy, and turned his attention 
to general farming, which he followed 
until 1898. He then returned to Quincy 
to pass the remainder of his days, and 
in that city he died in 1899. He was 
very successful in his several lines of 
industry, and when he died left an Illi- 
nois farm of 400 acres and other prop- 
erty. 

His marriage with ^[iss Mary Louck- 
inbill took i)lace in 1839, and by it he 
became the father of twelve children, 
seven of whom are living: John, who is 
the only one of them residing in this 
coimty; Fred J., whose home is in 
Quincy, Illinois; George, a resident of 
Adams county, Illinois ; Albert, who lives 
in Hannibal, Missouri; Daniel, of Adams 
county, Illinois; Emma, the wife of 
Nicholas Haufner, of Quincy, Illinois; 
and Louisa, the wife of Wilkie Brunts, 
also of Adams county, Illinois. In 
American political affairs the father ad- 
hered to the Democratic party, and, 
although he had no official aspirations 
for himself, always gave his organiza- 
tion the most loyal and effective support, 
and was a man of influence in its local 
coimcils. 

John Ertel grew to the age of sixteen 
in Quincy, Illinois, and then accompa- 
nied his parents to the fann. He ob- 
tained his education in the public schools 



of his native city, and was about to enter 
upon a career for himself as a farmer 
when the Civil war broke out and called 
him to another department of sei^vice. 
In 1864, when he was but twenty years 
old, he enlisted in the Union army, Com- 
pany H, Fifty-first Illinois Infantry, un- 
der command of Major Beattj'. His 
service in the army lasted one year and 
was tlien ended by his muster out at 
Colmnbus, Georgia, and his discharge 
soon afterward at Springfield, Illinois. 
But while his term was short his service 
was active, and took him into the battles 
of Chickamauga, Georgia, and Knoxville, 
Franklin and Nashville, Tennessee, and 
several minor engagements. He was 
wounded twice in battle. 

After the close of the war he returned 
to his father's farm, on which he worked 
until 1868. He was married in that year 
and began life for himself as a general 
farmer. He has adhered to this occupa- 
tion ever since and has been verj' suc- 
cessful at it. In 1890 he became a resi- 
dent of Shelby county, Missouri, and he 
now owns 280 acres of fine land in Salt 
River township, the farm being well im- 
proved and nearly all under cultivation. 
He was married in 1868 to Miss Nancy 
Wilhoit, of Adams county, Illinois. 
Eight of the ten children born of this 
union are living: William, of this coun- 
ty; Daniel L., of St. Louis, Missouri; 
and Jane, George, Anna, Delilah, Nancy 
and John, all of whom are still living at 
home with their parents. In politics the 
father is a Republican. He is loyal to 
his party and zealous in its service, but 
has never sought a political office of any. 
kind for himself. 




GEO. W. CRAWFORD 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



487 



GEORGE AV. CRAWFORD. 

A native of the state of New York, 
born iu St. Lawrence county on October 
3, 1848, and of Scotch and EngHsh an- 
cestry, George "W. Crawford has exem- 
plified in his career in Missouri the en- 
terprise and progi-essiveuess of the great 
state of his nativity and the sterling- 
traits of the people from which his fam- 
ily are descended. His grandfather, 
John W. Crawford, was born and reared 
in Scotland, where his forefathers lived 
for many generations. His son, also 
named John "\V. Crawford, the father of 
George W., was a native of Canada, and 
when but a small boy was taken by his 
parents to New York state, where the 
familj" lived for a number of years and 
he grew to manhood. A few years later 
he moved to Illinois, when that now 
great state was opening its horn of plen- 
ty to the service of mankind and asking- 
all who chose to come and share in its 
bounty. 

John W. Crawford, the second, was a 
farmer all his life. On November 22, 
1829, he was united in marriage with 
Miss Diana Pay, a daughter of Caleb 
Fay, a scion of old English families, long 
resident in Great Britain, but himself a 
native of Vermont and a son of Caleb 
Fay, who was killed at the battle of 
Bunker Hill. Eleven children were born 
in the older Crawford household, but 
only two of them are living, George W. 
and his older sister Mary. The father 
died on March 5, 1862, and the mother 
in 1889. 

Their son George "\V. obtained his edu- 
cation in the district schools of New 
York and Illinois, and after leaving 



school worked on farms in the latter 
state. In 1871 he came to Missouri and 
located in Clay township, Shelby county, 
and here he has been energetically and 
successfully engaged in farming and 
raising live stock from that time to the 
present. His farm comprises 420 aci'es 
and is well improved and liighly culti- 
vated. His stock industry is extensive 
and active and is managed with the same 
care and intelligence that he bestows on 
his farming operations, and like that is 
progressive and profitable. He is one of 
the leaders in both industries in this part 
of the state and has a high and wide- 
spread reputation for his activity and 
intelligence iu both lines of endeavor 
and the excellence of his output in stock. 

Mr. Crawford was married on Decem- 
ber 24, 1873, to Miss Mary Bowman, a 
daughter of Aaron S. and Mary (Pierce) 
Bowman, who were natives of Tennessee 
and came to Missouri in 1853. On their 
arrival in this state they located in 
Ten Mile township, Macon coimty, where 
they lived until 1882, when they moved 
to Shelby county. Here the father was 
industriously engaged in farming until 
within a few years of his death, which 
occurred on March 25, 1892, when he 
was eighty-six years old. 

Mr. and Mrs. Crawford have had five 
children, but only two of them are living, 
their daughter Zella, the wife of Leslie 
Schwada, and their son Charley M. In 
])o]itics the father is a Republican, with 
an abiding interest in the welfare of his 
])arty and an energy always ready for its 
service. He was a member of the school 
board for ten years or longei'. In relig- 
ious connection he and his wife are affil- 
iated with the Evangelical church and 



488 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



are very zealous and active clmrcli work- 
ers, serving as steward of the congrega- 
tion to which he belongs and taking an 
earnest interest and leading part in all 
its benevolent activities and undertak- 
ings. He is generally esteemed as one of 
the best and most useful citizens of his 
township, who can lie depended on to do 
his part in furthering the promotion of 
every worthy enterprise for its improve- 
ment and advancement. 

JOHN WIGGINS. 

Orphaned when he was but little over 
five years of age by the untimely death 
of his father, and thus thrown on his 
own resources at an early age, and now 
one of the successful and prosperous 
farmers of Shelby county, with a fine 
farm of 400 acres in Salt River town- 
ship, John Wiggins has evidently had 
vision to see, alertness to seize and in- 
telligence to use his opportunities for 
advancement to good advantage. What 
lie has is the fruit of his own unassisted 
industry, ability and determined spirit, 
and it is therefore all the more to his 
credit that he has it, and all the more 
enjoyable to him in possession and use. 

^Ir. Wiggins is a Kentuckian by birth, 
l)ut he was brought to this county by 
his parents when he was but seven years 
old, and he has lived here from then to 
the present time. He was born in Mason 
county, Kentucky, on May 10, 18-1-6, and 
is a son of Thomas Wiggins and a grand- 
son of Archibald Wiggins, the latter 
born and reared in Virginia and the for- 
mer in Kentucky, his life beginning in 
Mason county of that state in 1800. He 
moved his family to Missouri in 1851, 



and took up his residence in Carroll 
county. But he did not live long to real- 
ize the high hopes with which he had 
sought a new home in the distant West, 
as it was then. He died on the farm on 
which he had settled his family in Sep- 
tember of the same year at the age of 
about forty-five years. 

He was united in marriage with Miss 
Margaret Leach, of the same nativity as 
himself, and hy this marriage became 
the father of six children, three of whom 
are living: John, the immediate subject 
of this brief review; Adelaide, the wife 
of John Onan, of Shelliina ; and Julia, 
the wife of C. L. Wilkins, who also lives 
in Shelbina. In politics the father was 
a pronounced and loyal Democrat and a 
faithful worker for his party. He was 
industrious and frugal, making good 
provision for his family, according to 
his circvmistances, and also took an ac- 
tive and helpful interest in the affairs 
of his township and county, in which he 
was esteemed as an excellent citizen. 
But his usefulness was cut short and 
his career ended before he had made 
much headway in his struggle for ad- 
vancement, and he left his widow and 
offsjiring but slenderly provided for. 

It thus hajipened that the mother of 
John Wiggins found herself with sev- 
eral cliildren to rear and educate as best 
she could, and an undevelojied farm out 
of which to make a livelihood for her 
household. But she entered upon the 
task ))ravely and ])erforniod her duty 
faithfully. Nevertheless, it became nec- 
essary for her son John, her oldest child, 
to begin his work in the world at an 
early age. He ol)tained a limited edu- 
cation in the district schools of Carroll 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



489 



county, just over the line from Eay 
county, in which his mother's farm was 
located, but was not allowed to attend 
them long or with any regularity while 
he went to them. 

He remained at home assisting his 
mother on the farm until 1864, then 
moved to Shelby county and began farm- 
ing and raising live stock on his own 
account. He has dwelt in this county 
continuously ever since and been en- 
gaged in the same occupations all the 
time. He has been verj- successful in 
his operations, having nothing to start 
with in the way of capital, and is now 
one of the substantial farmers of the 
township in which he lives. On Decem- 
ber 8, 1870, he was married to Miss Mar- 
tha Cadwell, of this county. Four chil- 
dren have been born to them and all of 
them are living. They are: Clara May, 
the wife of A. B. Stalcup; Birda Ethel 
MeGee, whose home is in this county; 
Addie, the wife of Alonzo Keith, of 
Shelbina ; and Allie, the wife of Elwood 
Snell, who resides in Texas. The par- 
ents are zealous members of the Mis- 
sionary Baptist church and take an ac- 
tive part in the work of the congrega- 
tion in the sect to which they belong. 

WILLIAM L. DUNCAN. 

A son of the late Judge Duncan, of 
this county, and taking from him the 
management of the farm on which he 
was born and reaied, and on which he 
learned the art of farming under the 
careful tutelage of his father, William 
L. Duncan, of Black Creek township, in 
this county, has demonstrated in his suc- 
cessful career that the lessons of his 



boyhood and youth were not lost ui)on 
him, and also that he had capacity to 
apply them in practice to his own ad- 
vantage and the benefit of the township 
and county in which he lives and has 
passed the whole of his earthly exist- 
ence to this time. 

Mr. Duncan was born in this county 
on December 15, 186-t, and is a son of 
William H. Duncan, who was born in 
this county in 1844, and a grandson of 
Levin Duncan, a native of Maryland, 
who was one of the early settlers of this 
part of Missouri. His son, William H. 
Duncan, the father of William L., was 
reared in this county and educated in 
its public schools. From the time when 
he left school until his death he was en- 
ergetically and profitably engaged in 
farming and raising and feeding live 
stock for the markets, and in all his op- 
erations he was one of the most enter- 
prising and successful men in his town- 
ship, and one of its leading citizens. 

His high character and great intelli- 
gence gave him influence with the peo- 
ple and made him something of a leader 
among them. And his interest in the 
progress and development of the county 
increased his jiromineuce and power. In 
1894 he was elected county judge and in 
1896 he was re-elected to the same posi- 
tion. At the end of his second term, in 
1898, he was elected judge at large for 
his judicial district, but he did not live 
to take his seat as such, dying before 
the end of the year in which he was 
elected to it. In politics he was a Demo- 
crat and in religious affiliation a mem- 
ber of the Southern Methodist Episco- 
jial church. 

He was married in 1864 to Miss Mary 



490 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Jane Lowman. of this county. They had 
six children, four of whom are living: 
William L., the subject of this review; 
Mettie, whose home is in Shelbyville; 
Charles B., a resident of Nashville, Ten- 
nessee; and Maud, the wife of Clement 
Tyre, of Lexington, Missouri. They are 
all esteemed citizens where they live, and 
in their daily lives exemplify the teach- 
ings and examples given them at the 
jiarental fireside by their excellent par- 
ents, being faithful in the performance 
of every duty in both private and public 
life. The mother now makes her home 
at Shelbyville with her daughter Mettie. 
AVilliam L. Duncan began his scholas- 
tic training in a district school in this 
county and completed it in a graded 
public school in Shelbyville. Prom 
S(!hool he returned to his father's fax'm, 
the one on which he was born and on 
which he now lives, as lias been noted, 
and began the career as a farmer and 
live stock man which he is still extend- 
ing. He has enlarged the farm to 240 
acres, cultivated it skillfully and ener- 
getically, improved it with judgment and 
good taste, and made it one of the at- 
tractive and valuable rural homes of the 
township. He has also taken a good 
citizen's full part in helping to advance 
the best interests of his townshi[) and 
countj-, and labored in all his efforts to 
promote the enduring welfare of the peo- 
ple, giving them the stimulus of his in- 
fluence and the force of his example in 
good work for progress and develop- 
ment. On February 19, 1898, he was 
married to Miss Marietta Wood, a 
daughter of Wesley and Kittie (Robb) 
Wood, highly respected residents of this 
countv. Politicallv he is a Democrat 



and fraternally a Knight of Pythias. 
His wife belongs to the Methodist Epis- 
copal church, South, and takes an ear- 
nest interest in church work. Both are 
among the most generally esteemed citi- 
zens of the countv. 



JOHN B. LOWMAN. 

Now forty-four years of age, with 
good health, strength and a spirit of 
])erseverance which is not daunted by 
difficulties; owning a fine farm, which 
he has improved with excellent judg- 
ment and good taste, and which he has 
brought to a high state of productive- 
ness through systematic cultivation ac- 
cording to the most approved modern 
methods in agriculture and provided 
with everything in the way of equip- 
ment requii'ed for its advanced and vig- 
orous tillage and further development, 
John D. Lowman, of Black Creek town- 
ship, this county, is on the highway to 
extensive prosperity and material con- 
sequence among men. And, having won 
the regard of his fellow men who live 
in the same township and count y 
through his great public spirit and en- 
terprise with reference to the progress 
and irajirovement of the county, and the 
readiness and intelligence with which he 
enters upon every worthy project de- 
signed to promote them, he has attained 
a position of influence that promises 
much for his future as one of the leading 
citizens of this portion of the state. 

^Ir. Lowman is a native of Sh('ll)y 
county and has passed the whole of his 
life to the present time within its bor- 
ders. He was born on February 15, 
1866, and is a son of Samson B. and 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



491 



Mary (Wilson) Lowman, a sketch of 
whom will be found in this work. He 
had no educational facilities but those 
furnished by the country schools of this 
county, but he has been an industrious 
reader and student on his own account, 
and is a well-informed man. After leav- 
ing school he worked on his father's 
farm and assisted the family until 1891. 
He then bought a farm and began a pro- 
gressive and profitable career in farm- 
ing and raising live stock for himself, 
which he is still extending under flour- 
ishing conditions. His farm comprises 
160 acres and he has made it one of the 
most attractive and valuable of its size 
in the township. Nearly all of the land 
is under cultivation, and every acre that 
is farmed yields first rate returns for 
the labor and care bestowed on it. 

Mr. Lowman was married on August 
•20, 1902, to Miss Ida B. Fagan, of Ma- 
rion county, Missouri. Mrs. Lowman is 
a dai;ghter of George W. and Susan E. 
(Barnett) Fagan, residents of Philadel- 
phia, Missouri. His political allegiance 
is given loyally and faithfully to the 
Democratic party, and, while he seeks 
no political honors or advancement for 
himself, he is impelled by the force of 
his convictions to zealous and effective 
efforts for the success of his party in all 
its campaigns. He is a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal church. South, and 
h i s wife of the Missionary Baptist 
church. They stand well in their com- 
munity socially, take an earnest interest 
and an active part in the work of all the 
intellectual and moral agencies alive and 
vigorous around them, and in every way 
do their part as ui:)right, progressive and 
estimable citizens, and they are held in 



high regard by all classes of the people 
wherever they are known. 

SAMSON B. LOWMAN. 

Although of Virginia nativity and 
parentage, Samson B. Lowman, of Black 
Creek township in this county, who has 
made his mark indelibly on the record 
of the county's history both as a farmer 
and a public official, and is one of its 
best known and most esteemed citizens, 
is of Pennsylvania ancestry. His grand- 
father, Bernard Lowman, was born and 
reared in the city of Lancaster, Penn- 
sylvania, but in his early manhood 
moved to Middlebrook, Virginia, and 
there his son, William O. Lowman, the 
father of Samson B., was born in 1815. 
There also he grew to manhood, was 
educated and learned the trade of tan- 
ner, wliich he followed in his native state 
for a nmnber of years. 

In February, 1835, he was married to 
Miss Sarah Eagon, of Staunton, Vir- 
ginia, and by this marriage became the 
father of foiar children, two of whom 
are living, Samson B. and his sister, 
Mary Jane, the wife of William H. Dun- 
can, of Shelbyville, this county. In the 
fall of 1856 the father moved his family 
to Missouri, and, after passing the win- 
ter at Canton, Lewis coimty, settled in 
Shelby county, where he spent the re- 
mainder of his life and died in 1900, 
passing away at Shelbyville. In this 
county he was engaged in farming until 
a,bout fifteen years before his death, 
when he retired on the competency he 
had acquired to enjoy the rest he had 
richly earned. In politics he was a Dem- 
ocrat, in fraternal life an Odd Fellow, 



492 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



and in religious connection a member of 
the Southern Methodist Episcopal 
church. 

Samson B. Lowman was educated in 
private schools at Middlebrook, Vir- 
ginia, and, after completing his scholas- 
tic training, worked on the home farm 
with his father until 1860, having come 
to this state and Slieluy county with his 
parents. In the year last named he 
bought 160 acres of land in Black Creek 
township and began farming and raising 
live stock on his own account. He has 
followed these pursuits with unceasing 
devotion from that time to the iiresent, 
and has won a very gratifying success 
in pursuing them. In 1876 he was 
elected county surveyor and road and 
bridge commissioner of Shelby county, 
and he held the office until 1892, and 
during his tenure built the bridge over 
Salt river, between Shelbina and Shel- 
byville, the first iron bridge in the 
county. But ever since he located on his 
farm it has been his home. 

As has been indicated, Mr. Lowman 
has been entirely successful in his busi- 
ness operations, and has also risen to 
prominence and influence in his town- 
ship and county. His fann now com- 
prises .360 acres, and all but twenty acres 
of it is under cultivation. With his in- 
telligence and progressiveness in view, 
it is needless to say that his farming 
and live stock operations are conducted 
according to the most approved modern 
methods and with the ap])lication to 
them of all that is latest and best in the- 
ory and practice in the industries in- 
volved. And, with knowledge of his pub- 
lic spirit, enterprise and interest in his 
locality, it seems equally needless to say 



that he is among the leading and most 
esteemed citizens of the countj'. 

Mr. Lowman has been married twice. 
His first marriage took place on Novem- 
ber 26, 1860, and was with Miss Mary 
AYilson, who died in 1877. They had 
four ehildi-en and two of them are liv- 
ing: John D., an account of whose life 
appears in this volume, and his older 
brother, AVilliam M., both residents of 
this county. On June 26, 1879, the 
father was married a second time, being 
united on this occasion with Miss Angle 
Bryan, of Chillicothe, Missouri. Of the 
two children born of this marriage only 
one is living, Florence B., who is Mrs. 
Joseph C. Graddy, of Lexington, Mis- 
souri. The father is a Democrat in his 
political allegiance and belongs to the 
Methodist Episcopal church, South, in 
religious affiliation. 

JAMES A. SMITH. 

A native of Sussex county, Delaware, 
where his forefathers lived for several 
generations, and since 1865, except for 
a short interval of six months, during 
which he lived in Atchison, Kansas, a 
resident of Shelby county, Missouri, 
James A. Smith, of Lentner township, 
has ])assed the greater part of his life 
to this time amid scenes far different 
from those of his childhood, youth and 
early manhood, and among people whose 
habits and institutions are, in many re- 
spects, greatly unlike those amid which 
he grew to maturity. He has had ex- 
]>erience in both country and city life, 
and followed Fortune's unreliable prom- 
ise in several occupations. Yet he has 
at all times met the requirements of his 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



49 :J 



situation iu a manly way and made the 
most of his opportunities for his own 
advantage and the good of his commu- 
nity. 

Mr. Smith was born iu Sussex county, 
Delaware, on May 1-t, 1843, and is a 
grandson of Marlow Smith, also a na- 
tive of that state, and a son of John 
Smith, who lived in it all his life. He 
was a general farmer and also raised 
live stock on an extensive scale, owning 
120 acres of land in a tract well adapted 
to his pui'suits. He was a man of force 
and enterprise and succeeded well in all 
his i;udertakings, achieving a substan- 
tial prosperity and standing well in his 
county as a citizen. In political rela- 
tions he was a Democrat, and in refer- 
ence to all matters affecting the welfare 
of his locality was public spirited and 
progressive. 

In Delaware he was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Mellie Traitor, who was 
born and reared in Marjiand. They be- 
came the parents of ten children, seven 
of whom are living: John, whose home 
is in "Worcester county, M a r y 1 a n d ; 
Rufus, who resides in Sussex county, 
Delaware ; Leolyn M., who lives in Den- 
ver, Colorado ; James A., the subject of 
this brief review; David, who is also a 
resident of Sussex county, Delaware; 
William, who lives at Springwater, Ore- 
gon; and Mary, the wife of James Bun- 
ton, of Sussex county, Delaware. Both 
the father and the mother died in Oc- 
tober, 1869, and within a few days of 
each other. They were well esteemed as 
useful citizens wherever they were 
known. 

Their son, James A., obtained his edu- 
cation in the district schools of his na- 



tive county, and after leaving school 
worked on the home farm with his father 
and assisted the family for a number of 
years. But the great AVest had a per- 
suasive voice for him and kept tugging 
at his heart strings. And in 1865 he 
yielded to the call and came to Missouri, 
arriving in Shelbj- county on November 
20th, and remaining here a short time. 
He then went to Atchison, Kansas, 
where he lived for six months, variously 
engaged. Returning to this county at 
the end of that j^eriod, he worked as a 
hired man on a farm for one year, then 
rented eighty acres of land, which he 
farmed on his own account for a time, 
with considerable success but not entire 
satisfaction to himself. 

In order to more nearly accomplish 
his desires and have a permanent home 
for himself and his family, he bought a 
farm of forty-four acres, and on this he 
has ever since resided and expended his 
efforts with gratifying success and 
steadily increasing prosperity. He has 
greatly improved his farm, cultivated it 
with industry and skill, and brought it 
to a high degree of fruitfulness. As 
the place is not a large one, Mr. Smith 
is enabled to carry on what is called in- 
tensive farming, adapting his croi)s to 
the land as study and observaticm de- 
velop its characteristics, and thus makes 
every acre yield its due proportion of 
return for the labor expended on the 
farm and give him the best possible re- 
sults. His farm is one of the most val- 
uable and attractive rural homes in the 
township for its size. 

On February 28, 1867, Mr. Smith was 
joined in marriage with Miss Susan M. 
Carothers, a native of this county. They 



494 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



have had twelve children, ten of whom 
are living : Jerome, who resides at Pine, 
Oregon; Dollie, the wife of Boone Fad- 
dis, of Centralia, Missouri; Charles L., 
whose home is in Portland, Oregon; 
Annie, the wife of Amos Miller, of Mon- 
roe county, Missouri; James E., a resi- 
dent of Canada ; Lucy, the wife of John 
Winn, who also lives at Centralia, Mis- 
souri; Nora, a resident of Shelbyville; 
Armstrong and Maud, who are still at 
home with their parents ; and Leona, the 
wife of Arthur Phillips, whose home is 
in this county. 

In political faith and allegiance Mr. 
Smith is a member of the Democratic 
party and, although he never has sought 
or desired a political office for himself, 
either by election or appointment, he is 
loyal and energetic in the service of the 
organization and always helpful in its 
campaigns. His religious affiliation is 
with the Methodist Episcopal church. 
South, of which his wife is also a mem- 
ber, and to this also he is loyal and de- 
voted, taking an active part in its work 
and aiding in evei-y way he can to pro- 
mote its best interests. In the affairs 
of his township and county he takes an 
active interest and serviceable part, do- 
ing all he can to help them to whole- 
some and enduring progress and devel- 
opment along lines of steady and sub- 
stantial advancement. 

GEORGE W. GREENFIELD. 

One of the substantial farmers and 
stock growers of Shelby county, which 
has been his home from the time of his 
birth, Mr. Greenfield is a representative 
citizen of this section of the state and a 



member of one of the honored pioneer 
families of Shelby county. Through 
well-directed effort he has achieved a 
large measure of success in connection 
with temporal affairs, and he is the 
owner of a finely improved landed estate 
in his native county, besides which he is 
a member of the directorate of the 
Farmers' Bank at Leonard. He is held 
in uuquahfied esteem in his native coun- 
ty and is well entitled to consideration 
in this history. 

George W. Greenfield was born in 
Taylor township, Shelby county, Mis- 
souri, on September 16, 1848, and the 
old homestead which was the place of his 
nativity is but three miles distant from 
his present place of abode. He is a son 
of Samuel and Hannah (Michaels) 
Greenfield, whose marriage was solemn- 
ized in the state of Ohio in 1838. The 
fatlier was born on Chesapeake Bay, in 
the state of Maryland, in 1812, and the 
mother was a native of Virginia, whence 
she removed with her parents to Ohio in 
an early daj'. Samuel Greenfield passed 
the first fourteen years of his life in his 
native state and then accomjianied his 
})areuts on their removal to Ohio, where 
he was reai'ed to maturity and where he 
received a common school education. He 
continued to reside in the old Buckeye 
state until about 1836, when the family 
removed to La Grange county, Indiana, 
and in 1840 came to Missouri and num- 
bered himself among the first settlers of 
the present township of Taylor, where 
he secured a tract of wild land, which he 
reclaimed into a ])roductive farm. He 
became one of the successful farmers 
and stock raisers of the county and 
added materially to his landed estate, 




GEO. W. GREENFIELD 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



495 



becomiug the owner of more tliau 700 
acres. His first land was secured from 
the government and consisted of 120 
acres. He continued to be actively con- 
cerned in the supervision of his large in- 
terests until 1899, when he disposed of 
his live stock and retired from active 
liusiness. In the meanwhile he deeded 
the greater portion of his lauded hold- 
ings to his children. He died in 1901, 
aged ninety-one years, and his name 
merits an enduring place on the roll of the 
honored pioneers of Shelby county, to 
whose civic and industrial development 
he contributed in generous measure. He 
gave his support to the cause of the Ee- 
publican party from the time of its or- 
ganization until the Greenback party 
was formed, and he thereafter was iden- 
tified with the latter until it passed out 
of the political arena, when he again afiSl- 
iated himself with the Republican party. 
He was identified with the organization 
of the Methodist Epicopal church at 
Leonard, and both he and his wife held 
membership in the same. Mrs. Green- 
field was summoned to the life eternal 
in aliout 1880, and of the eight children 
five are now living, namely : Sarah, who 
is the widow of Jacob Hoofer, of Shelby 
county; George W., who is the imme- 
diate subject of this review; Susan, who 
is the wife of Recompense Cox, of Nor- 
ton, Kansas; Samuel A., who likewise 
resides at Norton, Kansas; and Mary, 
who is the wife of Edward Cox, of Shel- 
by county, Missouri. 

George W. Greenfield was reared to 
maturity on the old homestead farm and 
his early educational discipline was re- 
ceived in the Ernest school, in his home 
township, which lie attended until he 



was fourteen years of age, and in the 
McWilliams school house, which had 
formerly been a Baptist church, where 
he prosecuted his studies at intervals 
until he had attained the age of nineteen 
years. Thereafter he continued to assist 
in the work of his father's farm until 
1871, when he began independent opera- 
tions as a farmer and stock grower and 
established a home of his own, having 
l)urchased a house, to which he made an 
addition, besides making other improve- 
ments. He began operations on eighty 
acres of land and broke the virgin soil by 
the use of seven yokes of oxen. He di- 
rected his efforts with much energy 
and discrimination and his success be- 
came cumulative in its tendency, so that 
he soon gained precedence as one of the 
substantial representatives of the agri- 
cultural and stock industries of his na- 
tive township and county. He is now the 
owner of a finely improved estate of two 
hundred acres and the land is of the most 
fertile order, so that he has one of the 
model farms of Shelby county. On his 
farm he has long maintained a black- 
smith shop, and as he is a natural me- 
chanic and has much skill at the black- 
smith trade he has not only been able to 
attend to the shoeing of liis own horses 
and the repairing of his farm imple- 
ments and machinery, but in earlier days 
he frequently came to the aid of his 
neighbors in making repairs of this 
order. 

Mr. Greenfield was one of the charter 
members of Farmers' ]iank of Leonard, 
assisting in its organization and having 
lieen from the start a valued member of 
its board of directors. He is a man of 
resourceful nature, is progressive and 



496 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



energetic, and his course has been so 
ordered in all the relations of life as to 
retain to him the inviolable confidence 
and esteem of his fellow men. He has 
shown a loyal interest in all that has 
tended to advance the welfare of his na- 
tive county and is essentially liberal and 
progressive as a citizen. His enterprise 
and thrift are shown in the attractive 
and commodious modern residence, tine 
bam and other substantial buildings on 
his homestead, and he has reason to find 
satisfaction in the fact that he has been 
content to remain on his "native lieath" 
and to continue his identification with 
the great basic industry under whose in- 
fluence he was reared, for he has 
achieved marked success and is one of 
the independent farmers and business 
men of the section in which he maintains 
his home and where he is surrounded 
by those environments that make for 
peace and happiness. He has served as 
school director but has never consented 
to become a candidate for any specific 
])olitical office. He gives his allegiance 
to the Repul)lican party, his wife holding 
mem])ership in the jNF. E. church, to whose 
support they are liberal contributors. 

Mr. Greenfield has been twice married. 
In 1871 he wedded Miss Melissa Ward, 
wbo was born in Iowa and who was a 
daughter of Charles and Rachel Ward. 
Mrs. Greenfield was summoned to eternal 
rest on the 4th of April, 1888, and of 
the eight children five are now living. 
Concerning them the following brief rec- 
ord is given : Samuel F., who is engaged 
in real estate business at Dighton, Lane 
county, Kansas; Joseph Victor, wbo is 
identified with the mining business at 
Marble, Colorado; Mary, who is the wife 



of George Thompson, of Adams, Oregon ; 
Nellie, who is the wife of Elmer Loft, of 
Shelby county, Missouri, and Wesley S., 
of this county. On the 10th of December, 
1889, was solemnized the marriage of 
Mr. Greenfield to Mrs. Emeline (Ward) 
Rogers, who was born in Pennsylvania, 
and who is a sister of his first wife. No 
children have been born of the second 
marriage. The family home is one no- 
table for its gracious hospitality and is a 
favored rendezvous for the wide circle 
of friends that Mr. and Mrs. Greenfield 
have gathered about them. 



ROBERT E. CAPP. 

This energetic, enterprising and suc- 
cessful farmer and sheep breeder of Salt 
River township, in which he is one of 
the most progressive and esteemed citi- 
zens, is a native of this county and has 
passed the whole of his life to the pres- 
ent time within its borders. He secured 
his education in its district schools, ac- 
quired the graces of social life among 
its people, learned the duties of citizen- 
ship under its civil institutions, and has 
devoted all the years of his later youth 
and manhood to its progress and de- 
velopment. He is therefore wholly a 
])roduct of the county, and his career, 
which has been successful for himself, 
has also ministered to the welfare of 
the region of his nativity, in which he 
has always felt a deep and abiding in- 
terest. 

Mr. Capp was born on October 12, 
1878, and is a grandson of David Capp, 
a native of Pennsylvania, and a son of 
Robert Jackson Capp, whose life began 
in this state on July 15, 1846. For many 



ITISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



497 



years the father owned a farm of 109 
acres of good hind in this county and 
farmed it with skill, industry and pro- 
gressiveness. He was also, during his 
residence in the county, an extensive 
feeder of hogs for the markets, and en- 
joyed a wide and creditable reputation 
as such. In 1908 he moved to a farm 
of thirty-seven acres near the town of 
Jasper, in the county of the same name, 
this state. And there he lived until the 
following year, when he sold this land 
and on January .3, 1910, bought prop- 
erty in Clarence, where he now lives. 
He was united in marriage with Miss 
Sarah Powell, a native of Benton 
county, Missouri. Six children have been 
born of the union, and all of them are 
living and residents of Shelby county. 
They are: John D.; AVilliam H. ; Mary, 
the wife of Wesley Clark; Sarah Ann, 
the wife of Albert Kendal; Jesse, and 
James T. Capp, who trades extensively 
in mules. The mother of these children 
died on December 24, 1904. In politics 
the father is a pronounced Democrat 
and an energetic and helpful worker for 
the success of his party in all its cam- 
paig-ns. His religious connection is with 
the Methodist Episcopal church, South. 
Robert E. Capp grew to manhood on 
bis father's farm and attended the dis- 
trict school in the vicinity when he had 
oppoi'tunity during his boyhood and 
youth. While his educational facilities 
were limited, he made good use of them 
and thereby laid the foundation for an 
extensive fund of general knowledge 
which he has since acquired from judi- 
cious and reflective reading. After leav- 
ing school he continued to work on the 
home place and assist the family until he 



reached the age of eighteen. At that 
age he started a farming and live stock 
industry of his own on eighty acres of 
land which he rented for a time and then 
purchased. His farm is located near 
Bacon Chapel and is one of the best in 
that part of the township, and he has 
made it what it is by the vigor and skill 
with which he has cultivated it and the 
good judgment and taste with which he 
has improved it. 

Early in his career as a farmer Mr. 
Capp took a liking to sheep and ever 
since he has fed and raised this inter- 
esting and profitable but uncertain and 
delicate animal for the markets on an 
extensive scale. Under his care and ac- 
curate knowledge of the business the un- 
certainties of the sheep industry are 
carefully guarded against, and the con- 
stitutional delicacy of the animal is pro- 
vided for, so that he escapes the usual 
hazards incident to the industry. For 
he is one of the best informed and most 
judicious breeders and feeders in this 
part of the country, and his output holds 
a high rank wherever sheep are sold 
within the range of his operations and 
shipments. He has, therefore, been very 
successful in his live stock enterprise, as 
he has been in his farming industry, 
which is carried on with equal intelli- 
gence and ability, and prosecuted with 
equal energy and vigor. 

Mr. Capp was first married on Sep- 
tember 20, 1899. One child was born of 
the union, but it is now deceased. Its 
mother, whose maiden name was Grace 
A. Teter, died on March 31, 1901, and 
on April 20, 1904, the father married a 
second wife, taking as his companion in 
this union Miss Effie Bunion. They 



498 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



have had two children, both of whom 
are living and still at home with their 
parents, being yet of tender years. They 
are a son named Clell and a daughter 
named Cozette. The father is a faithful 
working Democrat in political affairs 
and devoted to the welfare of his party. 
In religious relations he is connected 
with the Methodist Episcopal church, 
South. 

HANSFORD S. CARROLL. 

Aged forty-two years and still unmar- 
ried, Hansford S. Carroll has not the in- 
centive to interest in the welfare of his 
township and countj' that married men 
iiave on account of their families. He is, 
nevertheless, earnestly and serviceably 
devoted to their general good and does 
all in his power to promote it, impelled 
by his high sense of duty as a citizen and 
his loyalty to the region of his nativity 
and his lifelong residence with the ex- 
ception of one year, which he passed in 
Oregon. He has shown his interest in 
his locality as a steady contributor to its 
industrial and commercial development, 
and also by his active part in helping to 
advance and intensify all the mental and 
moral agencies at work among its people. 

Mr. Carroll was born in Shelby county, 
Missouri, on March 2-t, 1808. He is a 
grandson of James Carroll, a native and 
for many years a leading farmer of In- 
diana, and a son of Benjamin Carroll, 
who was also a native of Indiana. When 
he was but three years old the father 
was brought by his parents to Missouri. 
The family located on a farm of 100 
acres near Bacon Chapel, and on that 
farm Benjamin grew to manhood and 



learned tlie ins and outs of the occupa- 
tion he followed throughout the years of 
his activity. At the age of nineteen he 
bought ninety acres of land, on which he 
took up his residence and engaged in 
farming and raising live stock on his 
own account. The land was new and 
undeveloped, and all that it subsequently 
became in productiveness and comeliness 
he made it by his systematic industry 
and the judgment with which he devel- 
oped and cultivated it. He found it re- 
munerative through the vigor of his op- 
erations in farming it, and his live stock 
operations were also profitable. 

In 1858 he was united in marriage with 
Miss Harriet McBroom, a native of Mon- 
roe county, Missouri. They became the 
parents of eight children, six of whom 
are living: Richard L., Hansford S., 
John C, Lizzie (wife of W. H. Miles, of 
Macon, Missouri), Nannie and AVilliam 
T. Except Mrs. Miles they are all resi- 
dents of this county. The father and 
mother are now living with their son 
Hansford S., the immediate subject of 
this brief memoir. 

He was educated in the district schools 
of Shelby county and after leaving school 
assisted his father on the home farm for 
a number of years. He at length yielded 
to a longing he had felt for some time to 
see the Pacific coast region, and went to 
the state of Oregon, where he passed a 
year engaged in farming. But Missouri 
was more to his liking, and at the end of 
the period mentioned he returned to this 
state and again took up his residence in 
Lentner township, Shelby county, on a 
farm of fifty-two acres in the neighbor- 
hood of his father's place near Bacon 
Chapel. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



■i'J'J 



Like his father, Mr. Carroll has shown 
liimself to be progressive and enterpris- 
ing, and has improved his fann and 
l)rouglit it to a high state of productive- 
ness. He has studied the nature of its 
soil and kept in touch with the latest 
thought and discovery in the science of 
agriculture, and he has industriously 
applied to his work all that he has 
learned by study and observation. It 
follows, as a matter of course, that he 
has been successful, for the soil of this 
portion of Missouri has never yet failed 
to respond liberally to the hand of skill- 
ful and persuasive husbandry. Hi s politi- 
cal faith rests upon the principles of the 
Democratic party and he gives that or- 
ganization his continued and elTective 
support. Fraternally he is affiliated with 
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows 
and Modern Woodmen, and to that, too, 
he is devoted in loyalty of feeling and 
activity of service. He ignores no duty 
of good citizenship, but performs all with 
fidelity and intelligence. 

JOHN L. QUIGLEY. 

Successful and progressive as a farmer 
and mill man, upright and enterprising 
as a citizen, clean, capable and energetic 
as a public official, John L. Quigley, of 
Salt River township, this county, has 
exemplified in his useful career among 
the people of his township and county 
many of the best and most admirable 
traits of elevated and productive Amer- 
ican citizenship. He has met every pul)- 
lic and private duty in a manly and 
straightforward manner and discharged 
all with fidelity and ability. And while 
pushing his own advancement with com- 



mendable industry and intelligence, he 
has also given the affairs and the en- 
during welfare of the region in which he 
lives careful attention and valuable ad- 
vocacy and assistance. 

JNIr. Quigley was born in Monroe coun- 
ty, Missouri, on April .S, 1858. His 
grandfather Quigley was l)orn and 
reared in Kentucky, and Samuel Quig- 
ley, his father, was also a native of that 
state. The father came to Missouri in 
1854 and took up his residence in Mon- 
roe county, where he remained until 
18G1. He then moved to Adams county, 
Illinois, and during the next six years 
was actively engaged in farming in that 
county. In 1867 he returned to Missouri 
and located in this county near Shel- 
l)ina, where he continued his farming 
operations until his death on July 4, 
1886. His political faith and active sup- 
port were given throughout his man- 
hood to the Democratic party, and he 
was warmly attached to its principles. 

In 1844 he was united in marriage with 
Miss Sarah J. Wallace, a native of Ten- 
nessee. They became the parents of 
nine children, six of whom are living: 
Lizzie, the widow of the late Thomas 
Beasley, of California; William H., who 
resides in California; and John L., 
Charles, Robert and Warren, all resi- 
dents of this county. The mother is still 
living, and although she is well advanced 
in years, she is still vigorous and active, 
and is blessed with the good opinion of 
all who know her past usefulness or are 
brought into contact with her present 
genial and pleasing disposition and 
obliging manner. 

John L. Quigley obtained his educa- 
tion in the district schools of Shelby 



50ir 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



county and after completing it helped 
his father on the home farm until he 
reached the age of twenty-four years. 
He then determined to found a home of 
his own, and to this end he bought a 
farm of 125 acres in this county near 
Bacon Chapel. In connection with his 
farming he has for years operated a saw 
mill, which is one of the great conven- 
iences of the neighborhood, and is known 
far and wide for the excellence of the 
work done on it. 

Mr. Quigley has not been wholly ab- 
sorbed in his own aflfairs, although he 
has at all times given them close and 
careful attention. The interests of his 
township and county have appealed to 
him with force and he has responded to 
the appeal with energy and intelligence, 
giving the region around him the benefit 
of his l)readth of view, progressiveness 
and enterprise in connection with local 
public affairs, and doing whatever he 
could to promote the welfare and ad- 
vancement of the people. In 1905 he 
was appointed game warden by Governor 
Folk, and although he occupied the office 
only two years, he made a record of ef- 
ficiency and fidelity in it which is still 
highly commended and stands strongly 
to his credit. 

On February 5, 1884, he was^mited in 
marriage with Miss Mary Z. Farrell, a 
native of Shelby county, Missouri. They 
have had three children, two of whom are 
living and both still at liome with their 
parents, a son named Everett and a 
daughter named Nellie. In political af- 
fairs the father adheres faithfully to the 
principles of the Democratic party and 
is one of its most energetic and efficient 
workers in all campaigns. In fraternal 



relations he is connected with the 
Knights of Pythias, and in religious af- 
filiation with the Christian church. The 
people of his township esteem him highly 
as one of their best and most useful citi- 
zens, and this estimate of him is held 
good throughout the county. It is based 
on well demonstrated merit, has been 
sustained by consistent fidelity to duty 
and ujirightuess of life, and is borne 
modestly by him although freely ac- 
corded by all classes of Shelby county 
residents. 

JOHN C. PRIEST. 

One of the most popular and esteemed 
citizens of Shelby\'ille and one of the 
most successful men in the business 
world of the city is John C. Priest, who 
has been a farmer and stockman and 
extensively engaged in the real estate, 
abstract and loan business from the 
dawn of his manhood, and who has won 
success and prominence in every line of 
activity in which he has been occupied, 
winning his way to prosperity and con- 
sequence by the application of good com- 
mon sense to his business and to popular 
favor by his genial nature, obliging dis- 
positio7i and high character. 

]\rr. Priest is a native of Shelby county 
and was born within its borders on Feb- 
ruary 1, 1855. His grandfather, Louis 
Priest, was a native of Virginia, and in 
that state, also, his father, ^fadison J. 
Priest, was born, his life beginning in 
1811 and the place of his nativity being 
Frederick county. He was reai-ed to 
manhood on his father's farm in that 
county and obtained his education in the 
schools of the neighborhood. In 1836, 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



501 



when he was twenty-seven years old, one 
year after liis marriage, he brought his 
young wife to Missouri, both determined 
to brave the perils and privations of the 
western wilds in the hope of finding a 
fortune amid its hoimdless opportimities, 
and, at any rate, of securing a better 
chance of advancement than their own 
state at that time seemed to offer. They 
located in Shell)y county on government 
land which they took up, and on this they 
expended their efforts to good purpose 
until the death of the husband in 1884. 
Mrs. Priest was born and I'eared in 
Hampshire county, Virginia, and lier 
maiden name was Sarah A. Vandiver. 
They became the parents of five children, 
four of whom are living: William L., 
of Shelby coimty; Mary E., the widow 
of Eobert M. Sprinkle, who lives in 
"West Virginia ; Silas W., whose home is 
in Leonard, this county; and John C, 
the immediate subject of this review. In 
politics the father was a Democrat and 
took an active interest in the affairs of 
his party. He was also energetic in pro- 
moting the welfare of his community by 
every means in his power. 

John C. Priest obtained his education 
in the district schools and the Shelby- 
ville high school. After leaving school 
he worked on the farm at home until 
1894, laboring in connection with his 
father a portion of the time and on his 
own account during the remainder. In 
the year last mentioned he moved to 
Shelby^'ille, and here he has been con- 
tinuously, prominently and successfully 
engaged in the real estate, loan and ab- 
stract business ever since. He has also, 
during the later years, been engaged in 



farming and raising live stock in a gen- 
eral way and on a large scale. 

In 1883 Mr. Priest was imited in mar- 
riage with Miss Emma C. McMurray, a 
daughter of John F. and Martha C. 
(Dunn) ]\IcMurray, of Shelby county. 
Four children were born of the union 
and all of them are living. They are: 
Jessie, Minter, Vincil and Tommy D., 
the last three named are still living at 
home with their father. The mother 
died in 1894, and in 1896 the father mar- 
ried a second time, his choice on this oc- 
casion being Miss Nellie J. McMurray, 
a sister of his first wife. She, also, has 
passed away, leaving Mr. Priest a wid- 
ower for a second time. In politics he 
is a Democrat and an earnest worker 
for his party. He is at the present pub- 
lic administrator of Shelby county and 
was mayor of Shelbyville two years, 
from 1902 to 1904. His fraternal rela- 
tions are with the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows, and in religious affiliation 
he is allied with the Methodist Episcopal 
church. South. Fortune has favored him 
in his business ventures because he has 
made her do it by his capacity, shrewd- 
ness and close attention to his affairs. 
And the people esteem him highly be- 
cause they have found him worthj^ of 
their regard. 

JAMES J. HILES. 

Serving his country well in war and 
during the greater part of the rest of 
his life to this time (1910) helping to 
expand its greatness and augment its 
l)ower through peaceful industry, James 
J. Hiles, of Black Creek township, Shelby 



503 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



county, lias proven himself an excellent 
citizen and worthy of the high and uni- 
versal esteem in which he is held 
throughout this county and in many por- 
tions of those that surround it. He is a 
native of Kentucky, born in Scott county 
on May 18, 1839, has lived and was edu- 
cated in Illinois, followed the flag 
through the terrible experiences of the 
Civil war, engaged in merchandising for 
a few years, served on the police force 
in the United States capitol at Washing- 
ton, D. C, and has l)een one of the promi- 
nent, progressive and successful farmers 
of this county during the last thirty-nine 
years. Thus, tried in many lines of use- 
ful endeavor, he has proved faithful and 
capable in all, and won on honest and 
demonstrated merit the rank he holds in 
the general estimation and regard of the 
public. 

Mr. Hiles is a son of Jacob and Mary 
(Haley) Hiles, the former born in Scott 
county, Kentucky, February 12, 1805, 
and the latter on June 1, 1813. His 
paternal grandfather, Falser Hiles, was 
a native of Gennany. The father came 
to Missouri in ISO.') and settled on eighty 
acres of land in this county, and on this 
land he was actively and continuously 
engaged in general farming, until his 
death, which occurred Januarj^ 17, 1881. 
He was married in Kentucky to Miss 
Mary Haley. Of the eight children born 
to them five are living: James J., the 
immediate subject of this review ; Louisa, 
the wife of Zetos Beathards, of Shelby 
county; Alonzo, whose home is in St. 
Louis; Eliza, the wife of John Griffith, 
and Martha, the wife of E. A. Baker, 
of Shelbyville. In political faith and al- 



legiance the father was a Democrat and 
in religion he belonged to the Christian 
church. He was active in the sei-\Mce of 
both organizations and made his mem- 
bership in each valuable to it. His wife 
survived him some years, her death 
occurring on March 14, 1894. 

James J. Hiles obtained his education 
in the district and select schools of 
Adams county, Illinois. After leaving 
.school he enlisted in the Federal army 
at Quincy, Illinois, his company forming 
part of the Third Missouri Cavalry 
under command of Col. John M. Glover, 
his enlistment taking place in Septem- 
ber, 18()1. His regiment was soon at the 
front, and until the close of the momen- 
tous and sanguinary struggle was en- 
gaged in active service. Mr. Hiles par- 
ticipated in the battles of Mount Zion, 
in Boone county, Missouri, Little Rock, 
Arkansas, and a great many engage- 
ments of minor importance. He was dis- 
charged in New Orleans in 1865 and 
turned to his Shelby county home soon 
afterward. 

After his return he located in Shelby- 
ville and engaged in the grocery and 
confectionery trade with enterprise and 
profit until 18()9, when he was appointed 
a member of the capitol police force in 
"Washington, D. C. He remained there 
in that capacitj^ until 1871, then came 
back to Shelby county and bought a 
farm, on which he has been energetically 
and continuously occupied in general 
farming ever since. In connection with 
his farming operations he carries on an 
extensive and active live stock business, 
and he conducts both lines of his work 
with a vigor and intelligence that bring 




THOMAS E. GARRISON 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



503 



excellent returns for his eflforts, and give 
him high rank as a fanner and stock- 
man. 

Mr. Hiles was married on July 18, 
1871, to Miss Elizabeth S. Hill, a daugh- 
ter of Z. B. Hill, of Shelbyville. They 
have had five children, four of whom are 
living: William R., Mary I., Lucy E. 
and Zerald A., all of them still members 
of the parental family circle. The 
father is a Eepublican in politics, a mem- 
ber of the Christian church, to which his 
wife also belongs, and an Odd Fellow 
and member of the Grand Army of the 
Republic fraternally. He is a very 
prominent and influential man. 

THOMAS E. CxARRISON. 

This progressive and enterprising 
farmer and stock man of Bethel town- 
ship, this county, has seen strenuous 
times in peace and war, but tried by the 
very extremity of fortune it did not sub- 
due him, or even discourage his deter- 
mined spirit, which has always felt itself 
equal to any emergency, and ready for 
any undertaking in the line of his desires 
and abilities. He is a native of Missouri, 
born in Knox county on April 9, 1841, 
and has been a resident of Shelby county 
since he reached the age of ten years. 
His father, Thomas E. Garrison, was 
born and reared in Virginia and came 
to Missouri in 1839. He took up his 
residence in Knox county, where for a 
number of years he was actively and pro- 
gressively engaged in farming. His wife, 
whose maiden name was Jane C. Van- 
diver, was also a native of Virginia and 
a daughter of Samuel Vandiver. Six 
children were born of the union, all of 



whom grew to maturity and four of them 
are living now. They are : James W., 
whose residence is in Shelbyville ; Thom- 
as E., the subject of this brief review; 
Fi-ancis N., who has his home in Adair 
county, this state; and Charles L., who 
is an esteemed citizen of the state of 
Arkansas. The mother died in 1877 and 
the father in 1883. 

Thomas E. Garrison attended the dis- 
trict schools of Bethel township, Shelby 
county, and the high school in Shelby- 
ville. After leaving school he enlisted 
in the Confederate army. Company E, 
Third Missouri Infantry, and served to 
the close of the war except for a period 
of ten months, during which he lan- 
guished in a Federal war prison. He 
took part in the battles of Lexington, 
Missouri, Corinth, Mississippi, and nu- 
merous others of greater or less im- 
]3ortance. Not long before the siege of 
Vicksburg he was taken prisoner, and 
during the next ten months, as has been 
stated, he was confined in a Federal 
prison. 

At the close of the war Mr. Garrison 
returned to his Shelby county home, and 
since then he has been continuously, 
actively and very successfully engaged 
in farming and raising live stock on a 
large scale. His fine farm in Bethel 
township comprises 500 acres and he has 
it well improved and the most of it under 
advanced and skillful cultivation. He 
manages his operations with judgment 
and conducts them with vigor, making 
every effort to secure the best returns 
for his outlay of intelligence and labor, 
and usually succeeding through the su- 
perior quality of his work and manage- 
ment. His extensive stock industry is 



504 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



conducted with the same care, skill and 
energy, and it also yields abundantly in 
response to his persuasive care and close 
attention to its every detail. 

In addition to his farm and stock busi- 
ness Mr. Garrison has othur interests of 
value. He is a stockholder in the Farm- 
ers' Bank of Bethel and a member of its 
board of directors, and he also holds a 
considerable block of the capital stock 
of the Bank of Newark, Missouri. All 
that he has he has acquired solely through 
his own efforts and good business ca- 
pacity, and his high standing as a man 
and citizen is also due to the inherent 
elements of his cliaracter and his de- 
voted attention to all things involving 
the welfare of his township and county, 
whose interests are all very dear to him. 
He wa< married in 1867 to Miss Sophia 
A. EUyson, a native of Macon county, 
Missouri, and a daughter of Davis M. 
and Ruth (Spencer) Ellyson, who were 
born and reared in Virginia. Four chil- 
dren have been born in the Garrison 
household, and two of them are living: 
Lena, the wife of Christie Moore, of 
Bethel, and Jane D., the wife of J. M. 
Whitelock, of Kirksville, Missouri. The 
father is a consistent member of the 
Methodist church. In politics he is a 
Democrat and has served some years as 
school director. 



CHAELES B. GARNER. 

Born, reared and educated in Shelby 
county, and during all the years of his 
mature life but one taking part in its 
industries and mingling freely with its 
people, Charles B. Garner, of Black 
Creek township, is well known through- 



out its extent, and the general confidence 
and esteem of the people, which is freely 
accorded to him, is based upon definite 
knowledge of his worth as a man and 
usefulness as a citizen. He is one of 
the leading farmers and stock men of 
the township in which he lives, and one 
of the most important factors at work 
for its development and improvement. 

Mr. Garner's life began on October 
6, 1871, and he is a son of Charles Julius 
and Mary (Glahn) Garner, natives of 
Germany, where Mr. Garner's grand- 
parents and other ancestors were born 
and lived, contributing in their several 
ways and generations to the progress 
of that great empire. The father was 
born in 1831 and came to the United 
States in 1855. He passed the first three 
years of his life in this country travel- 
ing over it and making studious ob- 
servations with a view to finding a loca- 
tion that pleased him for a permanent 
residence. He then located in Clarion 
coimty, whei'e he lived until 18G4. In 
that year he moved to Shelby county and 
settled on a farm near Leonard, on which 
he passed the remainder of his days in 
energetic and successful farming and 
stock-raising, dying on May 10, 1903. 

?Ie was a man of considerable ]iromi- 
nence locally, and through his industry 
and frugality acquired a competency. 
In 1866 he was united in marriage with 
Miss ^fary Glahn, who came to this coun- 
try from the Fatherland also and helped 
to make one of its comfortable and pros- 
perous homes. They had seven children 
and five of them are li^-ing: Rozena, 
whose liome is in Hannibal ; Louise "\V., 
the wife of George E. Clote, of Tulsa, 
Oklahoma; George B., who lives in 



HISTmiY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



505 



Shelby county; Augusta F., the wife of 
Charles E. Post, of Gridley, California, 
and Charles B., the subject of this me- 
moir. The father was a Lutheran in 
religious faith and a Republican in poli- 
tics. Both his church and his political 
party received his earnest and helpful 
support. 

Charles B. Garner was educated in 
the country schools and an excellent 
academy at Leonard. He was reared 
on his father's farm, and after leaving 
school continued to assist in its labor 
and helj) the family until 1900. He then 
went to Sue City, in Macon county, and 
took charge of a drug store. But he 
did not find mercantile jjursuits agree- 
able, and at the end of one year returned 
to Shelbj- county, and here he has ever 
since been engaged in farming and rais- 
ing stock with great enterprise, intelli- 
gence and success. His fine farm com- 
prises 180 acres of land and is well im- 
proved and skillfully cultivated. The 
knowledge of his business which Mr. 
Garner applies to both his farming op- 
erations and his stock industry, are well 
rewarded in the returns they bring him, 
and his rank as a progressive and up- 
to-date farmer is among the highest in 
his township. 

On October 31, 1900, Mr. Garner 
united in marriage with Miss Anna Val- 
lier, a daughter of William and Susan 
(Linton) Vallier, esteemed residents of 
this county. But two children have been 
born in the Garner household, a son 
named Edwin Kenneth, and Mary A., 
who is the light and life of the home. 
In political faith and allegiance Mr. Gar- 
ner gives his earnest and effective sup- 
port to the Democratic party, and in 



fraternal relations he is allied with the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and 
the Modern AVoodmen of America. His 
wife is a loyal and devout member of 
the Christian church. Both stand high 
in the confidence and respect of the peo- 
ple and richly deserve the regard so 
generously bestowed upon them. 

THEODORE HEINZE. 

Orjjhaned at the age of six years by 
the death of his father, and brought into 
a strange land, far from the scenes and 
associations of his childhood and the tra- 
ditions and history of his family, when 
he was nine, Theodore Heinze, oue of 
the substantial and progressive farmers 
and stock men of Black Creek township, 
in this county, began life in this country 
undei- very trying circumstances, and 
with no prospect of advancement except 
the possibilities of what he should be 
able to do for hunself. No smiles of 
Fortune brightened his rugged pathway 
and no favoring circumstances helped 
him in his slow and painful progress. 
But he had that within him that gave 
him assurance of success, and he was 
guided by its influence, using all his 
powers and living frugally and judi- 
ciouslj^ until he got a good start. 

Mr. Heinze was born on March 20, 
1863, in Berlin, Germany. He is a son 
of Theodore and Louisa (Hueter) 
Heinze, also natives of Germany, where 
the father was born in 1823, and where 
he passed the whole of his life, dying 
there in 1869. He was a carriage and 
wagon maker and flourished at his trade, 
but his health failed and he passed away 
at the early age of forty-six. In 1862 



506 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



he was married to ]\Iiss Louisa Hueter 
and tliey became the parents of four 
children, two of whom are living, Theo- 
dore and his sister Martha, the wife of 
John Rufner, of Shelby county. 

Three years after the father's death, 
the mother, finding herself without much 
prospect of advancement in a worldly 
way, and having small children to rear, 
educate and prepare for the battle of 
life, determined to seek the greater free- 
dom of choice and alnmdance of oppor- 
tunity offered by this country to work- 
ers, and in 1872 brought her family to 
Missouri, locating in Shelbj' county, and 
here the members of the family who are 
living have ever since been domesti- 
cated, mingling freely in the activities 
of this locality and taking their part in 
its ]iroduetive industries with advantage 
to tliemselves and benefit to the town- 
ship and county of their residence, in 
whose prosperity and progress they 
have shown themselves to be deeply and 
earnestly interested. 

Theodore Heinze's scholastic training 
was begun in his native land and com- 
l^leted in the district schools of Shelby 
county. He began his life work here on 
a farm, and he has been engaged in 
farming and raising live stock ever since. 
By thrift, industry and good manage- 
ment he has acquired the ownership of 
175 acres of good land, and he has im- 
proved his farm with commodious and 
comfortable buildings, ocpiipped it with 
all the necessary a]ipliances for ad- 
vanced agriculture and brought the land 
to a high state of cultivation. His stock 
industry is as extensive as his facilities 
allow and is as flourishing and profitable 
as first rate management can make it. 



Mr. Heinze was married on December 
7, 1892, to Miss Louisa Rathjen, of 
Shelby county. They have had five chil- 
dren, but only three of them are living 
— Marline, Dora and Alvina — a 11 of 
whom are still at home with their par- 
ents and popular members of the family 
circle. In politics the father adheres to 
the principles of the Republican party 
and is zealous in the support of them. 
His religious connection and that of his 
wife is with the Lutheran church, and 
in the affairs of the congregation to 
which they belong they both take an 
earnest interest and an active part. 
They are esteemed wherever they are 
known as worthy and estimable citizens, 
enterprising in the management of their 
own affairs and energetic in helping to 
promote the enduring welfare of the 
community around them. 

JOHN H. WERR. 

The interesting subject of this brief 
memoir is well worthy of honorable men- 
tion in a work that pur]iorts to show in 
personal histories the qualities of in- 
dustrial force, productive energy, ster- 
ling manhood and elevated citizenship 
which have given Shelby county its dis- 
tinctive character and won its advanced 
state of progress and development. For. 
while the story of his life presents no 
s]iectacular features or high adventures 
for contemplation, it shows well what 
thrift and enterprise can accomplish 
through steady application to tlie ordi- 
nary affairs of life. 

Mr. Werr is a native of Wiirtemburg, 
Geiinany, where he was bom on April 
4. 1870. He is a son of George and 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



507 



Eosle (Weinman) Werr, also natives of 
Germany, l)ut long residents of this 
county. The father was born in 1833 
and married in Germany. He brought 
his family to the United States in 1886 
and settled near Bethel, in Shelby 
county, Missouri, and here he was ac- 
tively, energetically and profitably en- 
gaged in farming and raising stock until 
his death, which occurred in 1905. He 
and his wife were the parents of eight 
children, six of whom are living : George ; 
Maggie, the wife of John Bower; John, 
whose home is in Black Creek township ; 
Fred; Rosina, the wife of Christian 
Claussen ; and Henry, all residents of 
Shelby county and good factors in its 
industrial, mercantile and social life. 
The father was a Lutheran in church 
connection and a Repulilican in political 
faith and allegiance. He was success- 
ful in his business in this country and 
rose to general esteem and popularity 
among the people, who recognized his 
worth, intelligence and excellent citizen- 
ship, and found him upright and reliable 
in every relation in life and warmly in- 
terested in the welfare of the community 
in which he lived and expended his 
sti'ength in useful and productive labor. 
John Werr grew to the age of sixteen 
in his native land and obtained his edu- 
cation there. He came to this country 
with his parents in 1886 and has ever 
since been a resident of this county. For 
some years after his arrival in this lo- 
cality he worked on the home farm with 
his father. He then hired out as a hand 
on other farms in the neighborhood until 
1899, when he bought a farm of eighty 
acres and began operations on his own 
account. He was frugal and thrifty 



while he was working for others, and 
he has applied the same qualities to his 
efforts in his own behalf, in which he 
has also shown great industry and ex- 
cellent judgment. He has been success- 
ful from the beginning of his enterprise 
and his progress in it has been steady 
and substantial. He now owns 160 acres 
of first rate land and has it all under 
advanced and productive cultivation. 
His stock industiy is in just proportion 
to his farming operations, and is man- 
aged with the same care and skill that he 
l)estows on them, and he is prosperous 
in both. 

On February 12, 1899, Mr. Werr was 
united in marriage with Miss Sarah 
Neusehafer, a daughter of John and 
Catherine (Reinheimer) Neusehafer, es- 
teemed residents of Shelby county. Two 
children have followed the imion and 
they still sanctify and brighten the fam- 
ily altar. They are Evers and William, 
and both are attending school. The po- 
litical faith of the father is firmly an- 
chored to the Republican party and he 
is an energetic and effective worker in 
behalf of its principles and candidates. 
He and his wife are leading members of 
the Lutheran church in their neighbor- 
hood, and by all classes of the people 
living around them and wherever they 
are known elsewhere they are held in 
high esteem and cordial regard. They 
are model farmers and excellent citizens. 

HENRY ARNOLD. 

This leading farmer, esteemed ditizen 
and public-s]Mrited man of Black Creek 
township, this county, has shown in his 
successful and somewhat striking career 
in this country that, in spite of adversi- 



508 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ties and trials which attended him for 
years from his childhood, he is made of 
the fiber and possesses the qualities 
which command success and compel even 
troubles to minister to the progress of 
the man who has them. He is a native 
of Germany, where he was bom on Feb- 
ruary' 14, 1864, and is a son of Henry 
and Mary (Xeuschafer) Arnold, also na- 
tives of the Fatherland and belonging to 
families long resident in that country. 

The father passed the whole of his 
life in his native land, conducting a 
promising business as a farmer, and 
dying there in 1867. He was married 
in 1860, and by his marriage became the 
father of one child, the interesting sub- 
ject of this brief sketch. He obtained a 
limited education in the place of his 
birth, his opportunities being scant be- 
cause he lost his father by death three 
years after his own life began, and the 
mother was left in straitened circum- 
stances. "When the son was seventeen 
years old he and his mother determined 
to try for better conditions and more 
extensive opportimities than their own 
land seemed to offer, in the land of j^rom- 
ise in which so many of their country- 
men had found fortune and favor. 

Accordingly they came to the United 
States in 1881 and located in Shelby 
coimty, and here the son has been con- 
tinuously, actively and very successfully 
engaged in farming and raising stock 
ever since. He had nothing to start on, 
but he met his requirements bravely and 
resolutely, and has made every day of 
his labor tell to his advantage. The 
qualities of industry', frugality and good 
management that have made his race so 



thrifty and }jrogressive. and won it the 
high rank it has attained in the industrial 
world, were manifest in him and he 
stemmed the tide of poverty and disaster 
that seemed against him with a patient 
and deteiTuined spirit, and he has won 
the success in life that he must have felt 
was due him if he made the proper ef- 
forts to secure it. He now owns 380 
acres of good land, having recently 
added twenty acres to his farm, and has 
the greater part of it imder advanced 
cultivation, with good buildings for the 
accommodation of his family and the 
products of his land and a complete 
equipm-ent of good farming implements, 
including everything necessary for the 
complete and profitable fanning of his 
estate. His stock industry is also ex- 
tensive and is managed with great skill, 
intelligence and thrift. 

Mr. Arnold is also a stockholder in the 
Bank of Lentner and the State Bank of 
Clarence. He was married in 1888 to 
Miss Anna Eeinheimer, who was at the 
time a resident of Shelby county. She is 
a daughter of Peter and Catherine 
(Xoah) Reinheimer, who are well known 
in the county and held in respect by all 
who know them. Mr. and ^kfrs. Arnold 
have had eight children, five of whom 
are living, and all still at home with 
their parents. They are : Edward. Mar- 
tin, Anna. Henry P. and Ireta D. The 
father is a pronounced Eepublican in his 
poltical convictions and allegiance, and 
takes an active part in the affairs of his 
party, although he has never been a can- 
didate for any political office. He and 
his wife are zealous and devoted mem- 
bers of the Lutheran church. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COTTXTY 



509 



JAMES SASS. 

Black Creek township has upon its fer- 
tile and highly productive soil a number 
of the most progressive and successful 
farmers in Shelby county. They are men 
of thrift and enterprise, and they study 
the nature of the soil they cultivate, its 
possibilities and requirements and by 
reading and good judginent keep them- 
selves in touch with all the latest devel- 
opments in the science of agriculture, so 
as to secure the best results in their 
work. Among them none stands higher 
in public esteem as a farmer and as a 
citizen than James Sass, whose well im- 
proved and attractive farm of 224 acres 
is in section 29, and is one of the best in 
the township. 

Mr. Sass is a native of Holstein, Ger- 
many, where he was horn on December 
7, 1851, and where he lived until he was 
seventeen years of age and obtained his 
education. He is a son of Jergin and 
Louisa (Widow) Sass, also natives of 
Germany. They were the parents of 
! seven children, four of whom are living : 
Nicholas, Catherine, the wife of Emil 
Claussen ; James and Ag-nes, all resi- 
dents of Shelby county. The mother died 
in her native land, and in 1871 the father 
l)rought the rest of the family to the 
TTnited States and direct to this county, 
following hither his son James, who 
came to the county in 1869. The father 
was a farmer all his life, and after con- 
ducting a profitable industry in his 
chosen vocation for a period of twenty 
years in Shelby county, died here in 
1891. 

James Sass has been of a resolute and 
energetic nature from his childhood, and 



as he was approaching his manhood be- 
gan to think of better opportunities for 
advancement in life than his own land 
seemed to offer, and to study where he 
could find them. He was well informed 
as to the boundless resources of the 
United States and the wealth of oppor- 
tunity in them, and determined to avail 
himself of the promise the land across 
the sea held out to industry, thrift and 
good management. Accordingly, youth 
of seventeen as he was, he braved the 
heaving Atlantic, without friend or kin- 
dred in his company, and in due course 
of time arrived in Shelby county. 

He had been well trained to farming and 
at once entered upon that occupation as 
his life work. He has been engaged in 
it ever since, and has been successful and 
prosperous from the start. For he has 
known how to do his work well and man- 
age his operations skillfully, and al- 
though his progress was slow at first, it 
was steady and rapidly increased. In 
connection with his farming he has car- 
ried on a flourishing stock industry, and 
in this line of effort he has also suc- 
ceeded, making it jiay good returns for 
the labor and care he bestowed on it. As 
has been noted, he owns and cultivates 
224 acres of fine land and has his farm 
well improved. 

He has taken an active interest in pub- 
lic affairs and risen to prominence in 
the community. All the duties of good 
citizenship have found him ready for 
their performance, and the people es- 
teem his devotion to the welfare of the 
township and county in wliich ho has 
lived and labored so effectually to his 
own advantage and for the benefit of the 
locality. In politics he is a Prohibition- 



510 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ist and in religion a member of Inde- 
pendent Holiness cluirch, and in both bis 
party and bis cburch organizations be 
has long taken an earnest and service- 
able interest. 

Mr. Sass bas been married twice, tirst 
in 1877 to Miss Mary Doss, a resident of 
Shelby county. They had one child, their 
son John, who is living. The mother 
died in 1884, and in 1885 the father mar- 
ried a second time, making Miss Cather- 
ine Krauter, also of Shelby county, his 
choice. Of their three children, one, 
their son Henry, is living and is still at 
home. 

FRANCIS M. CHURCHWELL. 

From its very beginning the career of 
Francis M. Churchwell, who lives on a 
fine farm of 320 acres near Shelbyville, 
as a farmer and live stock breeder and 
dealer, has been successful and jn'ogres- 
sive. He is a gentleman of great enter- 
prise and industry, thoroughly familiar 
with all that is latest in discovery and 
methods in the lines of endeavor to which 
his life to this time (1911) has been de- 
voted, and decidedly skilful in the appli- 
cation of his extensive knowledge con- 
cerning them. He is a native of Mis- 
souri and has never lived in any other 
state, but has devoted all his years of 
m.-'.tiirity to its welfare and the advance- 
ments of its agricultural and live stock 
industries, and at the same time has 
given the general welfare of the locality 
of his home earnest and intelligent at- 
tention. 

Mr. Churchwell was born in Marion 
county, this state, on August 4. 1843. 
He is of English ancestry, his grand- 
father, Samuel Churchwell, having been 



born and reared in that country, and of 
Virginia parentage, his father. Thomas 
Churchwell, and his mother, whose maid- 
en name was Susan E. Tarpley, having 
been natives of the Old Dominion. The 
father was born on March 22, 1810, and 
came to Missouri in 1836. He took up 
his residence in Marion county on a farm 
of eighty acres, and there he was actively 
and successfully engaged in farming and 
rearing live stock until bis death. 

On November 30, 1837, he solemnized 
his marriage with Miss Tar])ley, who was 
born on January 16, 1818, and they be- 
came the parents of seven children, six 
of whom are living : Eliza J., the wife of 
John T. Poor, of Garfield county, Okla- 
homa; Meredith T., whose home is in 
Shelbina ; Francis M., who also lives in 
this county ; Thomas J., a resident of the 
state of Nebraska; William Harvey, an- 
other of the family residing in this 
county; and Sarah Ann V., the wife of 
Isaac Bethards, whose home is also in 
Shelby county. The father died on July 
12, 1886, having survived his wife thirty- 
six years, her death having occurred on 
November 12, 1850. In politics he was 
a Whig until the death of the party of 
that name, and after that a Republican. 
His religious association was with the 
Missionary Baptist church, and he was 
devoted to the welfare of his sect. But, 
although a man of peace in times of 
])eace. be did not hesitate, in his young 
manhood, to take up arms in defense 
of his country, having been a volunteer 
and valiant soldier in the Black Hawk 
war. 

Francis ^l. Churchwell received his 
academic education in the district schools 
of Marion county, and later pursued a 



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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



511 



course of s])ecial training for business 
at the Jones Commercial college in St. 
Louis. After leaving that institution he 
taught school three terms, and then lo- 
cated on a farm of 100 acres near Em- 
den, on which he lived until 1889. In 
that year he moved to a farm of 200 
acres near Shelbyville. This farm he oc- 
cupied and improved until 1903, when he 
made his home on the one he now resides 
on, which is also near Slielbyville. This 
comprises 320 acres and is well improved 
and very skillfully cultivated. It has 
been brought to a high state of product- 
iveness, and has handsomely su]iported 
■ and advanced the extensive industry in 
feeding and raising live stock for the 
markets which Mr. Churchwell has con- 
ducted on it from the time when he 
took possession of it. He is especially 
interested in breeding and raising mules, 
and deals in them extensively as an ad- 
junct to his other live stock operations. 
He has been very successful in all his 
undertakings and is one of the leading 
and most substantial farmers and stock 
men in Black Creek township. 

On October 31, 1867, Mr. Churchwell 
was united in marriage with Miss Sarah 
A. V. Durrett, a native of Marion county, 
Missouri. They have had eleven children 
and twenty-four grandchildren, all of 
whom ai'e living: Eichard H., of Cas- 
cade county, Montana; Frances J., the 
wife of A. C. Yawter, of Neoslia, Mis- 
souri ; Sarah A., the wife of Polk Conno- 
way, of this county; Marj' S., the wife 
of Prank Connoway, whose home is also 
in this county ; Thomas H., a resident of 
Cascade county, Montana; Mona L., the 
wife of James T. Churchwell, of Ray- 
mon, Montana ; Rebecca E., the wife of 



Walter McCue, a resident of Shelby 
county, Missouri ; Francis M., Jr., the 
third member of the family, whose home 
is in Cascade county, Montana; John 
S., who resides in Pratt county, Kansas ; 
and "William T. and Benjamin D., who 
are living at home with their ]iarents. In 
]>olitics the father is a Repulilican, and 
in religious association a member of 
the IMissionary Baptist church. It goes 
without the saying that he is one of the 
highly esteemed citizens of Shelby county 
and is regarded as one of its leading and 
most useful men. 

HENRY RATHJEN. 

The early pioneers of Shelby county 
redeemed the region froiu the waste and 
laid the foundations of its present great- 
ness and advanced development. The 
men and women of a later generation 
and all subsequent ones have gone on 
improving and enriching the domain ac- 
cording to their opportunities and cap- 
abilities, adding successive features of 
progress and forces of culture as the 
times demanded and their resources al- 
lowed. From the beginning the fortunes 
of this portion of the state have been in 
the hands of callable and self-reliant 
people, ready to take advantage of every 
circumstance for its aggrandizement 
and willing to make any sacrifice to ac- 
complish its greatest good. The future 
of the county and the commonwealth de- 
jiends upon the fiber and foi'ce of the 
present generation and those that shall 
come after it. 

As an indication of what the present 
generation is doing to kee]) u]^ the 
march of progress and meet the require- 



512 



lilSTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ments of its duty, the career of Henr.v 
Rathjen, of Black Creek township, and 
others like him, is well worthy of con- 
sideration. He is a progressive and 
wide awake fanner and stock man, fully 
abreast with the times in his Inisiness 
and alive to all the elements and powers 
of good citizenship and what is de- 
manded of it. What the young farmers 
and stockmen of the county are doing 
gives abundant assurance that there will 
be no backward step, and that no proper 
means of development, intellectual, 
moral or social will be overlooked and 
that no material advantages will pass un- 
noticed or neglected. 

^Ir. Eathjen is a native of the county 
and has passed the whole of his life to 
this time within its borders. He was 
born on February 17, 1877, and is a son 
of Christian and Elizabeth (Cordis) 
Rathjen, natives of Germany. The 
father was born in 1841 and came to the 
United States in 1868. He came at once 
to Shelby county, Missouri, on his ar- 
rival in this country, and found a home 
in a German settlement containing many 
of the friends of his earlier life in his 
native land. He took up as his own the 
leading occupation of the settlement, 
and the one to which he had been reared, 
becoming a farmer and stock-raiser. He 
continued his operations in this dual line 
of nsefxil and profitable endeavor until 
his death on December 29, 190G, and was 
successful in all he undertook. 

He was married on October 10, 1870, 
to Miss Elizabeth Cordis, and by this 
marriage became the father of four chil- 
dren, all of whom are hving: Hiram, 
Lizzie, the wife of Theodore Heinze, 
Henry and Anna, the wife of Hugh Dane, 



all of them residents of Shelby county. 
The father and mother were for many 
years devout and consistent workers of 
the Lutheran church and attentive to all 
the retiuirements of their duty as such. 
Henry Rathjen was educated in the 
country schools of Shelby county and 
iunnediately after completing their 
course of instruction began the cai-eer of 
farmer and stock man in which he is still 
engaged. He now owns 100 acres of 
good land, well improved and nearly all 
under cultivation. He is a Democrat in 
politics and has his religious athliation 
witli the Lutheran church. On Febru- 
ary 16, 1906, he was united in marriage 
with Miss Kate Keller, a daughter of 
Philij) Keller, an esteemed resident of 
Shelby county. They have one child, 
their son Cliristian Henry. Mr. Rathjen 
is as enterprising and i)rogressive with 
reference to the affairs of the county as 
he is in his own business. He is every- 
where regarded as an excellent citizen 
and an upright and useful man, worthy 
of all esteem and earnestly interested in 
the enduring welfai-e of the township 
and county in which he lives. 

JOHN S. CHIXN. 

Devoting the first few years of his 
early manhood to farming on his father's 
farm, and four of its most strenuous 
and trying ones to the defense of his po- 
litical opinions during our Civil war, 
then returning to the peaceful and pro- 
ductive jnirsuit of agriculture, with a 
flourishing live stock industry in connec- 
tion, John S. Chinn, of Black Creek 
townshi]), in this county, has been tried 
in laborious exertion on the soil of our 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



513 



countrj', both when it has been plowed 
l)y the sword for men's destniction and 
furrowed liy the plowshare for their 
sustenance, and has not been found 
wanting in either case. He is one of the 
successful farmers of his township and 
one of its most esteemed citizens. 

Mr. Chinn was born in Shelby county, 
Kentucky, on July 30, 1830, and is a 
grandson of Thomas Chinn, a native 
and planter of Virginia, where his father, 
William S. Chinn, also, was born, his 
life beginning in 1790. The latter moved 
from his native state to Shelby county, 
Kentucky, and lived there until 1834, 
when he came to this county and located 
on the site of the present town of Bethel. 
There he engaged in general farming 
until about 1845. He then moved to the 
]ilace on which his son now resides near 
Shelbyville, and engaged in merchandis- 
ing in that town, continuing his opera- 
tions for a period of four years. 

But mercantile life was not to his 
taste, and at the end of the period named 
he gave it up and returned to farming, 
which he followed until his death in 
1856. He was married in 1811 to Miss 
Lucy S. Chinn, of Kentucky. They had 
ten children, four of whom are living: 
Zuelda J., the wife of William Hill, of 
this county; Elijah, whose home is in 
Clarence; John S., the subject of this 
memoir; and Charles R., a resident of 
Webb City, Missouri. The father was a 
Democrat in politics and a member of 
the Christian church, to both of which 
he was loyally and serviceably devoted. 
Fraternally he was a member of the ■Ma- 
sonic order for many years. 

John S. Chinn was reared on his 
father's farm, on which he worked while 



attending the country schools and after- 
ward assisting the family until 1862. In 
that year he enlisted in the Confederate 
army under General Price, his regiment 
being subsequently transferred to the 
command of General Magruder. He 
served until the close of the war, seeing 
a great deal of active service, partici- 
pating in the battles of Kirksville, Mis- 
soviri, Prairie Grove, Arkansas, Milli- 
gan's Bend, Pleasant Hill and Shreve- 
port, Louisiana, and many engagements 
of less importance. He was mustered 
out of service at Shreveport, Louisiana, 
at the close of the war, and returned to 
his home in this county, where he was 
continuously and suecessfulh^ engaged 
in general farming and raising stock 
until 1902, when he retired from active 
pursuits. He is still living on the old 
homestead, however. 

Mr. Chinn was married on September 
15, 1858, to Miss Mary J. Pickett, of 
Shelby county. They have one child, 
their son Charles E., who is a resident 
and esteemed and influential citizen of 
this coimty. In politics the father has 
l)een a life-long Democrat. In fraternal 
life he has been for many years a mem- 
ber of the Masonic order, and in religion 
he communes with the Christian church, 
to which he has long belonged. In all 
these organizations he has been a zeal- 
ous and usefvil factor, and in all the ele- 
ments of elevated and sei'\'iceable citi- 
zenship he has met the full requirements. 
Having reached the age of four score 
years, he is crowned with patriarchal 
honors and his life is mainly retro- 
si)ective. But the retrospect is pleasing, 
for he has lived acceptably and worthily, 
and everybody who has knowledge of 



514 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



him venerates him for his uprightness, 
his loyalty to duty and his sterling man- 
hood. 

^^LLIA:^I H. PHIPPS. 

Whether in the rage of battle or fury 
of the charge in the most momentous 
civil war of modem history, or laboring 
■with all his ardor in the most exacting 
tasks of peaceful industiy at the busiest 
season of his occupation, William H. 
Phipps, one of the successful and pro- 
gressive faiTuers of Lentner township in 
this county, has never flunked or shirked 
his duty. In all the relations of life 
and under all circumstances he has been 
a true and faithful citizen of his country. 
and its utmost calls to sei"vice have met 
with a ready and cheerful response from 
him. 

He was bom in England on March 25, 
1842, and when but three years of age 
was brought by his parents, George and 
Mary (Bobinson) Phipps, also natives 
of that country, to the United States. 
The father was born in 1810 and re- 
mained in his native land until 1845. In 
that year he moved his family to this 
country and located near Rochester, Xew 
York. He was very skillful in the work 
of trimming fruit trees and also in 
threshing wheat with the flail, and he 
found plenty of demands on his acquire- 
ments during the ten years he lived in 
the East. In 1855 he joined the tide of 
migration westward, moving to Illinois, 
where he bought land and followed farm- 
ing until his death, which occurred in 
1891. He was a very energetic and 
thrifty man and was reasonably suc- 
cessful in everj-thing he imdertook. 

His marriage with Miss Mary Robin- 



son took place in 1833 and resulted in 
nine children, two of whom are living, 
William 11. and his older brother, 
George, who lives in Iowa. The father 
was a man of very good standing, both 
in the states of New York and Illinois, 
and enjoyed the respect of the people in 
every locality in which he lived. The 
mother, also, was held in high esteem, 
and both were worthy of the regard of 
those who knew them on account of the 
upright lives they lived and the excel- 
lence of their citizenship and demeanor 
in all the relations of human existence. 
William H. Phipps was educated in 
the country schools of central Xew 
York, where he was reared, and in 1861, 
when he was but nineteen years old, 
fired with the zeal of youth and the 
patriotism of a man, he enlisted in Com- 
pany F, Eighth Xew York cavalry, in 
defense of the Union, to which he was 
so warmly attached that he, was willing 
to risk his life in its behalf. His regi- 
ment was under the command of Colonel 
Crook, and he served in it something 
over three years, being discharged at 
Rochester, Xew York, on December 8, 
1864. The command was in the thick of 
the fight during the most strenuous 
years of the momentous conflict, and ^Ir. 
Phipps faced death on some of the most 
famous battle fields of all hvmian his- 
tory, among them Antietam, Chancel- 
lorsville and Gettysburg. He also par- 
ticipated in many minor engagements, 
and still bears the marks of service in a 
way that makes them known to all ob- 
servers. At the battle of Beverly Ford, 
Virginia, February 6, 1864, he was shot 
in his right elbow, which caused him to 
pass four months in Lincoln hospital in 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



515 



Washington, D. C, and has left him with 
a stiff arm ever since, a daily and hourly 
reminder of the hardships and perils of 
the awful scenes through which he passed 
during his military sei-vice. 

After leaving the army he returned to 
his New York home and worked on his 
father's farm imtil 1867. He then de- 
termined to seek his fortunes on his own 
account in the farther West, as it was 
then, and in a region which, having been 
wasted by the war, offered great oppor- 
tunities of advancement to those who 
would help to rebuild it and continue the 
development of its resources. Accord- 
ingly, in the year last named he came to 
Missouri and located in Shelby county. 
Here he bought twenty acres of land on 
which he has been actively and profit- 
ably engaged in farming and raising 
stock ever since. He has prospered 
through industry, thrift and good man- 
agement, and has added to his farm as 
he has advanced in material acquisitions 
until now he has 162 acres, the greater 
part of it under cultivation and j'ielding 
excellent returns for the labor, care and 
intelligence he bestows upon tilling it 
and developing its resources. 

On September 14, 1869, Mr. Phipps 
was united in marriage with Miss Mar- 
tha E. Heckard, a daughter of Michael 
and Rachel (Heckart) Heckard, the 
former a native of Pennsylvania and the 
latter of Delaware. They came to Shelby 
county in the early days, and here the 
father entered a tract of government 
land, on which he flourished and reared 
his family. Mr. and Mrs. Phipps have 
had six children, four of whom are liv- 
ing, all of them residents of Shelby 
county. They are: Mary, the wife of 



E. B. Robey; William A., one of the sub- 
stantial and progressive farmers of 
Black Creek township; Essie M., the 
wife of J. E. Hollenbeek, of Shelbina, and 
Bertha May, the wife of George Coddry. 
In politics the father is a Republican. 
He belongs to the Grand Army of the 
Republic, and he and his wife are mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
South. They are among the most 
esteemed and useful citizens in the town- 
ship of their residence. 



JOHN L. KELSO. 

Starting in life as a young man with 
nothing by way of equipment for its 
strident and exacting warfare but his 
own faculties and the spirit that con- 
trolled and directed them, and now one 
of the most successful and prosperous 
farmers and stock men of Black Creek 
township in this county, John L. Kelso 
presents in his career and achievements 
a fine illustration of what is possible to 
industry, frugality and thrift in this land 
of inexhaustible wealth of every mate- 
rial kind and almost boundless oppor- 
tunity in the development, transforma- 
tion and use of what nature has so boun- 
tifully bestowed for the service of man- 
kind. 

Mr. Kelso is a native of Shelby county, 
where he was born on January 12, 1862, 
and a son of Samuel and Eliza J. (Barr) 
Kelso, the former a native of Kentucky 
and the latter of Delaware. They were 
married in 1855 and had seven children, 
five of whom are living: Alvina, the 
wife of John Foey, a highly respected 
citizen of Shelby county ; AVilliam, whose 
home is in Colorado ; John L., the subject 



516 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



of these paragraphs; Charles, who is 
also a resident of Colorado ; and James, 
who lives in this county. The father was 
bom in 1S28 and came to Missouri in his 
boyhood with his parents. The family 
settled in Shelby county, and here he 
grew to manhood and obtained his edu- 
cation. He began life as a farmer and 
continued to follow this avocation until 
his death, in 1S72. He was a Republican 
in politics and a member of the Southern 
Methodist church. His success and prog- 
ress in his farming operations gave 
promise of making him a man of conse- 
quence and considerable worldly wealth, 
but his early death at the age of forty- 
four cut short his career and left its 
large promise unfulfilled, his plans in- 
complete and his family but indifferently 
provided for. 

Orphaned at the age of ten years by 
the death of his father. John L. Kelso 
was obliged to make his own way in the 
world from an early age. He obtained a 
limited education in the district schools 
of Shelby county, where he has passed 
the whole of his life to this time, but his 
opportunities to attend school were 
scant and irregular, owing to the circum- 
stances of the family, who needed what 
he could earn to aid in its support. He 
worked out by the month for a meager 
compensation for a time as a boy and 
youth, and later for better wages, all the 
while assisting the family and laying up 
what he could for himself. He was very 
frugal and industrious and by very slow 
accretions succeeded in accumulating a 
small sum of money. By this toilsome 
and painful process he climbed slowly 
upward on the rugged road to prosperity 
until 1885, when he bousrht 160 acres of 



land and began farming and raising 
stock on his own account. Since then his 
progress has been more rapid, and he 
has at length, through arduous effort 
and close attention to his business, ac- 
quired a competency and is comfortably 
fixed, with assurance in his circum- 
stances against all ordinary calamities 
and bright prospects for the future, for 
he is still full of energy and determina- 
tion, and has all his past experience to 
guide and help him to greater success 
and prosperity, and feels every incentive 
of duty to make the most of his oppor- 
tunities. He now has 280 acres of good 
land and nearly all of it at an advanced 
stage of cultivation. 

Mr. Kelso was married on April 7, 
1885, to Miss Laura B. Clark, a daugh- 
ter of James and Isabelle (Graham) 
Clark, esteemed residents of Shelby 
county. James, Leta and Elva, the three 
children bom of the union, are all living 
and still at home with their parents. The 
father is a Prohibitionist in politics and 
a member of the Holiness church in re- 
ligion. His wife also embraced the Holi- 
ness religion until her death in 1902. 

Mr. Kelso was again married in 1904 
to Sarah Biglow, a widow of Frank Big- 
low and a sister of his first wife. 

^^LLIAM CLAUSSEX. 

No element of the immigrant popula- 
tion of this country has done more for its 
development and improvement in a ma- 
terial way than that which the Father- 
land has given it. The German is the 
great toiler in any field of effort suited 
to his taste or capacity, and his patience 
and persistency is always in proportion 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



517 



to the task before him. His offspring, 
even though born in this country and 
reared amid circumstances very differ- 
ent from those of his own childhood and 
youth, inherits his traits and reproduces 
them in further iisefulness to the com- 
munity in which he hves. 

"William Clausseu, one of the substan- 
tial and progressive farmers of Black 
Creek township, Shelby county, is of this 
class. He was born in Shelby county, 
Missouri, on January 30, 1878, and is a 
son of Henry and Anna Magdaline 
(Groezinger) Claussen, the former a na- 
tive of Holstein, Germany, and the lat- 
ter of Jo Daviess county, Illinois, but of 
German parentage. The father came to 
the United States in 18G9 and found con- 
genial surroundings and plentiful sug- 
gestions of his native land in a German 
Lutheran settlement in this county. But 
a short time after his arrival he went to 
Jo Daviess county, Illinois, where there 
was a similar settlement or colony. He 
remained there until after his marriage 
in 1873, then returned to Shelby county, 
and here he passed the remainder of his 
life, which ended on November 25, 1903. 

In early life the father was a miller, 
but during almost the whole of his resi- 
dence in this county he followed farming 
and raising stock and was very success- 
ful in his operations. In politics he was 
a Republican and in religious faith a 
Lutheran, with strong devotion to both 
his party and his church. He and his 
wife were the parents of four children, 
all of whom are living and residents of 
this county. They are : Christian, Mary, 
the wife of Valentine Nothnagel, a 
sketch of whom will be found in this 



work; William and Paulina, who is still 
living at home with her mother. 

William Claussen obtained his educa- 
tion at Red Star district school, in this 
county, and while attending it and for 
some years after leaving it worked on 
his father's farm, helping in its cultiva- 
tion and assisting the family. He re- 
mained at home until March 8, 1903, 
when he was married to Miss Anna Neu- 
schafer, of Shelby county. He then 
bought 160 acres of good land and began 
a farming and stock raising industry of 
his own. This he has ever since carried 
on with vigor and good judgment, and 
through it has risen to comfort for life, 
in a worldly way, and to consequence 
and standing in the township as a citizen. 
For he has been as energetic and judi- 
cious in aiding to ijromote the welfare of 
the locality of his home and advance the 
interests of its people as he has been in 
pushing his own affairs to profitable re- 
sults, and by this means has won the re- 
gard and good will of all classes of those 
who live around him. 

Mr. and Mrs. Claussen have had three 
children, their sons Henry and Elmer 
and their daughter Grace. They are all 
living and still members of the parental 
family circle. The father is a pronounced 
Republican in politics, with an ardent in- 
terest in the welfare of his pai"ty and a 
constant readiness to render it any serv- 
ice in his power. He and his wife are de- 
voted members of the Lutheran church. 
Born and reared in Shelby county, and 
thoroughly at home among its people, 
with all their interests embarked upon 
its currents of pr()S])erity and advance- 
ment, they are loyal to it and its general 



518 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



weal in every way, and are known and 
acknowledged to be among the most es- 
timable and useful citizens of this part 
of the state. 

JOHN GEOEGE BURCKHAEDT. 
(Deceased.) 

It is a matter of gratification to the 
publishers of this history that within 
its pages will be found represented so 
large a quota of the men who have here 
attained to success and honor in their 
respective fields of endeavor and who 
have found within the gracious borders 
of the fine old county of Shelby ample 
scope for productive effort. 

Of this number was John George 
Burckhardt, who was one of the enter- 
prising farmers of Bethel township and 
who was a member of one of the sterling 
families of this section of the state, 
where he took up his abode more than 
forty years ago. 

John G. Burckhardt was born in Wur- 
temburg, Germany, on the 27th of Sep- 
tember. 1842. He was a son of John G. 
Burckhardt, also a native of Germany, 
who came with his family to America in 
the early '50s, and located on Long Is- 
land, New York, in which state he and his 
wife passed the residue of their lives. 

Their son, John G., Jr., was twelve 
years of age at the time of the family 
removal to the United States. He was 
reared to maturity on historic old Long 
Island, at Glencove, and there he re- 
ceived a common school education. Wlien 
the Civil war was preci])itated upon a 
divided nation he gave distinctive evi- 
dence of his loyalty to the land of his 
adoption. Soon after tlie outbreak of 



the war, at the age of nineteen years, he 
tendered his services in defense of the 
Union, by enlisting as a private in the 
4th New York Volunteer Infantry, in 
which command he served two years. 
Through faithful and gallant service he 
won promotion to the ofiSce of corporal 
and later to that of sergeant of his com- 
pany. At the expiration of his tenn of 
enlistment he received his honorable dis- 
charge, but shortly afterward, in 1863, 
he enlisted in the navy, becoming fire- 
man on the g-unboat "Anemana," and 
he continued in the navy arm of the Union 
service until the close of the war, when 
he received his final discharge, after hav- 
ing made an admirable recoi'd in both 
departments with which he was thus con- 
nected. 

After the close of the war John G. 
Burckhardt located in Allentown, Penn- 
sylvania, where he found employment in 
the steel rolling mills until 1869, when 
he came to Shelby county, Missouri and 
purchased a small tract of land in Bethel 
township, where he engaged in farming 
and stock-growing. As a raiser of high- 
grade live stock he eventually attained 
a wide reputation and pronounced suc- 
cess, and he ultimately l)ecame the owner 
of a fine landed estate of three hundred 
and ten acres. He gave special attention 
to the breeding of pedigree or registered 
stock, including Clydesdale horses, short- 
horn cattle and Shropshire sheep, and 
from his well-ordered stock farm were 
sold many fine animals for breeding pur- 
poses. He became one of the influential 
citizens of the county, where he ever com- 
manded unqualified confidence and es- 
teem, and where he ever gave his aid and 
influence in support of all measures tend- 




JOHN G. BURCKHARDT 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



519 



ing to advance the general welfare. He 
was a Eepublican in his political adher- 
ency, served for many years as a member 
of the scliool board of his district, was 
actively affiliated with the Grand Army of 
the Repulilic and the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows and was one of the pil- 
lars of the Presbyterian church at his 
home, in which he was a deacon at the 
time of his death, which occurred on 
the 4th of October, 1909. Of this churcli 
his wife also has been a devoted member 
for many years, and she still resides on 
the old homestead farm. Mr. Burck- 
hardt was one of the prominent factors 
in the organization of the Farmers' Mu- 
tual Fire Insurance Company, of Shelby 
county, and was vice-president of the 
same at the time of his demise. He 
served many years, and with marked in- 
terest and efficiency, as statistical re- 
porter of Shelby county, supplying data 
for the government. 

On the 18th of December, 1870, was 
solemnized the marriage of John G. 
jJurckhardt to Miss Frances Vawter, 
who was born at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 
on the 3d of January, 1843, and who 
survives him, as has already been stated. 
Of the seven children of this union all 
are living except one, Louise C, who 
died in womanhood. Concerning the 
others the following brief record is en- 
tered: Sarah A. is the wife of Henry 
Beckley, of Shelby county; John F. 
Mai'garet is now Mrs. Harry Barnes, 
of this county; Elizabeth is the wife of 
Andrew Easdale, of this county ; George 
has charge of the old home farm; and 
Mayme is the wife of Arthur Hamilton, 
of Woodlake, Nebraska. 



VALENTINE NOTTINAGEL. 

This prosperous and progressive 
fai'mer of Black Creek township, Shelby 
county, who has used all his opportuni- 
ties for his own advantage and the good 
of the township and county in which he 
lives, is a native of the city of Griesheim, 
near Hanover, in Germany, where he was 
born on July 4, 1875, and came to this 
country with his parents in 1881, when 
he was but six years old. The family 
located at once in Shelby county, and 
here Mr. Nothnagel has lived ever since. 
He grew to manhood in this county and 
has been from his childhood interested in 
its people and one of the active factors 
in promoting their welfare and the de- 
velopment of the locality of his home. 
Even though he began his education in 
his native land, he may be appropriately 
claimed as a product of this county, for 
he completed his scholastic training in 
its schools, married among its citizens 
and has devoted all his energies to mag- 
nifying its industries and adding to its 
wealth and power. 

Mr. Nothnagel is a son of Peter and 
Catherine (Bork) Nothnagel, also na- 
tives of Germany, the father having been 
born in the same place as Ms son. The 
l^arents were married on December 5, 
1872, and became the parents of four 
children, two of whom are living, Cath- 
erine, the wife of William Gerlicli, of 
this county, and Valentine. Having 
heard the word of promise from the New 
World, which offered better chances for 
advancement in life than the Old, the 
father determined to move his family to 
this country and brought it to the United 
States in 1881. They found a new home 



)20 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COr.XTY 



with familiar associations among the 
early Lutheran settlers of Shelhy eounty, 
and here the family has been domesti- 
cated from the time of its arrival. The 
father has been a steady and thrifty 
farmer and stock man ever since, and is 
now living on a farm of sixty acres near 
Clarence, where he carries on his two 
exacting and profitable industries, giv- 
ing them the close and careful attention 
the German people give everything to 
which their duty leads them. 

He has also been zealous and service- 
able in promoting the good of his com- 
mimity as a farmer and a citizen, and is 
regarded as a very worthy and useful 
man. His political allegiance is given to 
the Bepublican party, in whose affairs 
he takes an active interest, and in clnirch 
relations he and his wife are devout and 
consistent Lutherans. 

Their son Valentine began the battle 
of life for himself by working out by the 
month, continuing his slow progress in 
this line of labor until February 23, 1902. 
On that date he was united in marriage 
with Miss Mary Agnes Cla\isson, of 
Shelby county. He then deemed it his 
duty to provide a permanent home for 
his family and bought HiO acres of land, 
which constitute the farm on which he 
now resides, and on which he conducts a 
thriving business in general farming and 
raising live stock. He has built his op- 
erations in those lines of useful en- 
deavor from a small beginning up to a 
high state of developmont, and is re- 
garded as one of the thrifty and success- 
ful farmers and stock men of Black 
Creek township. He was industrious 
and frugal as a hired hand, saving his 
earnings to get a start in life, and he 



has followed the same rules of conduct 
as a landowner, making slow but steady 
l)rogress at first, and enlarging his op- 
erations as success crowned his efforts. 
Four children have been born to him 
and his wife, and all of them are living 
aTid are still members of the parental 
family circle. They are John Henry, 
Rosa Matilda, Carl Edward and Katy 
Louisa. The father is a Eepiiblican in 
politics and he and his wife are Luther- 
ans in religious faith and training. They 
are highly respected as sterling and 
estimable citizens. 

GEORGE W. MOORE. 

With a parentage combining the best 
traits of the Scottish yeomanry and those 
that are worthy and conuneudable in the 
people of Marjdand, G. "W. ^Moore, of 
Black Creek township in this county, 
who is one of the thrifty and successful 
farmers and stock men of that locality, 
has inherited qualities that have char- 
acterized the bone and sinew of two parts 
of the world which have made honorable 
records in history and are very fruitful 
in industrial life. And he has been true 
to his ancestry, and exemplified in his 
own career all that was sterling and pro- 
ductive in it and the sections from which 
his parents came. 

Mr. ^ioore is, himself, a native of 
Shelliy county, Missouri, where his life 
began on September 16, 1852. He is the 
only son and child of Hugh and Mrs. 
Alexine (Richardson) ^loore, the former 
a native of Scotland and the latter of 
Maryland. The father was born in 1806 
and came to the United States with his 
parents in 1820. As he neared and 



HISTOKY OP SHELBY COUNTY 



521 



passed his majority in age he traveled 
considerably, and finally located in this 
county as one of the most desirable 
regions he bad seen for his purposes. He 
was a stonemason and worked at his 
trade in many localities. After settling 
in Shelby county he purchased some land 
and farmed in connection with his me- 
chanical industry for a numlier of years, 
then gave up the trade and devoted him- 
self exclusively to farming and raising 
stock until his death, which occurred in 
1893. His wife died in 1875. They had 
one child, their son, George W. The 
father was a Democrat in political faith 
and lie and his wife belonged to the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, South. 

Their son G. W., who has passed the 
whole of his life to the present time in 
this county, was educated in its district 
schools. After completing their course 
of instruction he worked on his father's 
farm and assisted the family until the 
death of his pai-ents. He has since been 
active and constant in his work as a 
farmer and stock man, and by close at- 
tention to his business, and judicious 
judgment of it has made a great success 
of it. His farm comprises 180 acres of 
superior land and he has the greater 
part of it under excellent cultivation. 
He is a skillful farmer and a careful and 
studious stock-raiser, and he makes both 
industries minister to his advantage. 
His farm is well improved and fully pro- 
vided with the necessary appliances for 
its successful tillage, and he has one of 
the most attractive and valuable country 
homes in his township. 

Mr. Moore has not neglected the in- 
terests of his township and county while 
building his own fortunes. He has been 



energetic and enterprising in aiding all 
commendable public improvements and 
worthy undertakings for the develop- 
ment and advancement of his locality. 
In politics he is a firm and faithful Dem- 
ocrat, with great interest in the success 
of his party and effective activity in pro- 
moting it. He is regarded on all sides as 
a very worthy and useful citizen and en- 
joys the esteem of all who know him. He 
was married on May 3, 1877, to Miss 
Elizabeth Perry, a daughter of B. F. and 
]*[argaret (Carroll) Perry, well known 
and highly respected residents of this 
county. Mr. and Mrs. Moore have had 
six children and four of them are living: 
Magazine, the wife of Don Mclntyre, of 
Shelby coimty; and Mollie, George T. 
and Dulcie, all of whom are still living 
at home with their parents. 

BENJAMIN F. PERRY. 

Thelifestory of this successful farmer 
and valued citizen of Shelby county, who 
lives in Lentner township, and is now re- 
tired from active pursuits, if written out 
in full would form a narrative of thrill- 
ing adventure, considerable romance and 
variety of feature and tragical experi- 
ences, followed by gratifying success in 
his business and the esteem and good 
will of the people among whom he has 
lived and labored during the last forty- 
four years, and to whom he has demon- 
strated his worth and his title to their 
regard by his industry and prosperity as 
a farmer and his usefulness as a man. 

Mr. Perry was born in Morgan county, 
Indiana, on August 25, 1827. His father, 
AVilliam Perry, was a native of Ken- 
tucky. And in that state his grand- 



522 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



father, whose name -was AVilliam, also 
first saw the light of this world. The 
father settled in Morgan county, Indiana, 
at an early day and died there in 1839. 
He was an extensive faiTuer, owning and 
cultivating with success and profit a 
quarter section of land. He was married 
in Indiana to Miss Elsie Eunis, a native 
of Pennsylvania, and they became the 
parents of seven children, of whom the 
only one now living is Benjamin F., the 
interesting and venerable subject of 
these jjaragraphs. 

Benjamin F. Perry had no opportuni- 
ties whatever for attending school. In 
his boj'hood and youth the family lived 
in a new country and had to endure the 
hardships and privations of pioneers. 
Every available force was required to 
aid in the development and cultivation of 
the laud, and like the sons of other pio- 
neers, Mr. Perry was obliged to do his 
part of the farm work from a very early 
age, while before beginning that the un- 
settled condition of the country made 
schools scarce and there was danger to 
young children who attended them. He 
worked on the home farm and assisted 
the family until 1843, often hiring out 
as a hand to other farmers in the neigh- 
borhood. This sturdy and laborious life 
deprived him of all chance for mental 
training in the schools, but it developed 
his body, giving him vigor and supple- 
ness of frame, and it also cultivated in 
him a spirit of daring and self reliance 
and awakened in him a desire for travel 
and adventure. 

In the year last named, when he was 
but sixteen years old, he began a season 
of wandering from place to place which 
lasted six vears. At the end of that 



period he married and settled down in 
Indiana. But the longing for variety of 
surroundiugs and conditions would not 
be stiUed, and after two years of quiet 
life in his native state he procured a 
team and house wagon and during the 
next fifteen years journeyed through 
many states working on farms. In 1866 
he came to Shelby county and bought 
laud on which he has ever since been liv- 
ing and until 1904 was energetically en- 
gaged in fanning. In that year he gave 
up active work, dividing among his chil- 
dren the 300 acres of land which he had 
acquired, all except thirty-seven acres, 
which he retained for his own use. 

During the Civil war he refused to 
take either side of the sectional contro- 
versy and was persecuted by the parti- 
sans of both, losing everything he pos- 
sessed, and then left the region of his 
losses and sought a location free from 
the danger of further jiersecution. He 
was married in 1848 to Miss Margaret 
Carroll, a resident of Indiana. Of the 
ten children born to them eight are liv- 
ing: Jerusha, the wife of Louis Perry, 
of Nebi'aska ; Alexander, whose home is 
in Kansas City, Missouri ; Nannie Eliza- 
beth, the wife of G. "W. Moore, of this 
county, a sketch of whom will be found 
in this volume ; Savannah, the wife of 
George Coonrod, of Shelby county ; Ben- 
jamin and AVilliam, who live in this 
county; IMargaret, the wife of Homer 
Kendall, of Oglesby, Illinois ; and Eliota, 
the wife of I. Kite, of Anabel, Missouri. 

Having reached the age of eighty-three 
years and lived acceptably and service- 
ably more than half of that period among 
this people, with an enduring and helpful 
interest in their welfare, ^Ir. Perry is 



HISTOI!Y OF SHELBY COUNTY 



523 



I 



esteemed by them as a citizen and vener- 
ated as a patriarch. He has richly earned 
the rest he now enjoys after his long- day 
of toil and trial, and is fully entitled to 
the mildness and benignity of his life's 
evening. And by the uprightness and 
usefulness of his residence among them 
he has fairly won the entire regard and 
good will of the people of Shelby county. 
They recognize this fact and freely ac- 
cord him the prominence as one of their 
leading men his merit has brought him. 

JOHN NEUSCHAFER. 

The late John Neuschafer, whose un- 
timely death on October 5, 1888, cut 
short a luminous career full of useful- 
ness to the community in which he lived, 
was a native of Hesse Cassel, Gei'many, 
born on January 11, 1839. He came to 
the United States in 1868 and. at once lo- 
cated in Shelby county, Missouri, in a 
German colony established here, where 
he found many of the customs and char- 
acteristics of his native land and people 
of tastes, habits and aspirations kindred 
with his own. The German Lutheran 
settlement in which he took up his resi- 
dence was essentially a farming com- 
munity and as he had been trained to the 
pursuit its people followed, he entered 
upon it with energy and spirit in their 
midst. 

Mr. Neuschafer bought land and was 
actively and profitably engaged in culti- 
vating, developing and improving it, 
with gratifying present success and 
great future promise, when death ended 
him and his useful labors at the early 
age of forty-nine years. But, during the 
twenty years of his residence in this 



county he gave abundant proof of his 
skill and good judgment as a farmer and 
his uprightness and public spirit as a 
citizen, becoming as warmly attached to 
the land of his adoption as he was to that 
of liis nativity, and taking an earnest 
and helpful interest in all its public af- 
fairs — civil, educational and religious in- 
stitutions and its industrial and commer- 
cial activities and contributing his full 
share to their advancement, according to 
the measure of his capacity and oppor- 
tunities. He was very successful in his 
own affairs, beginning work here on a 
farm of 100 acres and ending his life on 
that farm enlarged to 356 acres. 

On December 14, 1869, Mr. Neuschafer 
was united in marriage with Miss Cath- 
erine Reinheimer, a German, like him- 
self, but born and reared in Australia, 
where her life began on November 1, 
1851. They became the parents of eleven 
children, and all of them are living and 
own their own homes in Shelby county. 
In their several stations and localities 
they carry out the teachings of the fam- 
ily fireside around which they grew to 
maturity, following with fidelity the ex- 
cellent example given them by their pa- 
rents and adding not only to the wealth 
and material strength of the county, but 
also to the power, sterling worth and 
progressive spirit of its citizenship. 
They are : Mary, the wife of Henry Von 
Thun ; Elizabeth, the wife of Harmon 
Rathjen; Louise, the wife of Philip Kel- 
ler ; Emma, the wife of Christian Prange ; 
Henry; Sarah, the wife of John Werr; 
Anna, the wife of William Claussen ; Pe- 
ter ; Catherine, the wife of Albert Kueh- 
ner ; Louis and John. 

The father served as road overseer 



524 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



for a number of years, and in many other 
Tvays manifested his cordial and service- 
able interest in the community. He be- 
longed to the Lutheran church and took 
an active part in promoting its progress, 
as does his widow, who is still living on 
the old homestead. He was an ardent 
Eepublican in politics and gave his party 
energetic and effective service, and, al- 
though deeply interested in his own af- 
fairs, never neglected those of the local- 
ity in which he lived. His father, Jacob 
Neuschafer, passed the whole of his life 
in Germany, where his forefathers lived 
for many generations. He was the father 
of six children, all now deceased. 

Mr. Neuschafer was one of the most 
esteemed citizens of Black Ci"eek town- 
ship. He was enterprising, progressive 
and broad in his views, and was an in- 
spiring force in his commimity, both 
through his o^ti activity and the forces 
he stimulated to action and helped to 
direct into proper channels in others. His 
memory is embalmed in the lasting re- 
gard of his township as one of its most 
estimable and worthy citizens. 

THOMAS E. PEIEST. 

Young in years, as the statistical an- 
nalist counts age, but in full touch with 
the progress and aspirations of the 
times, and therefore of the proper make- 
up and caliber for any time in which his 
lot might have been cast ; of an ancestry 
springing from the heroic age of our 
country's history, yet depending wholly 
on his own resources and capabilities, 
and therefore up to the requirements of 
any age, and under any circumstances 
wholly and sincerel_v a scion and repre- 



sentative of Missouri and Shelby county 
of the present day, Thomas E. Priest, of 
Black Creek township is well worthy of a 
place in a work purporting to record the 
achievements and indicate or suggest th^ 
liromise of the future of this portion of 
the middle West. 

Mr. Priest is a native of Shelby county, 
born on June 6, 1885. and the son of Wil- 
liam L. and Anna S. (A'andiver) Priest, 
the former also a native of this county 
and the latter of Virginia. He began his 
education in the district schools of Shel- 
by county and completed it at a graded 
school in Shelbj-ville. After leaving 
school he worked on his father's farm 
and assisted the family until April 9, 
1905, when he was imited in marriage 
with ^liss Elizabeth Reinheimer, a na- 
tive of this county, born on August 3, 
1885, and daughter of Charles and Em- 
ma Eeinheimer, well known and highly 
respected residents of the county. 

Directly after his marriage Mr. Priest 
bought 185 acres of land and on that has 
been energetically and successfully en- 
gaged in farming and raising live stock 
ever since. His operations in both lines 
of his productive industry have been ex- 
tensive and have been conducted with 
.iudginent and skill. He is studious of 
his business and ever on the alert to take 
advantage of any suggestion extensive 
reading of the best agricultural and 
stock i)ublioatious or the lessons of expe- 
rience given him, and so keeps his busi- 
ness up to date in every respect. He is 
accounted one of the most advanced and 
]irogi"essive famiers and stock men in 
his township and well deserves his rank. 
Two children have been born in this 
household, his daughters Myra C. and 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



525 



Margaret, liotli of whom are living and 
help to brighten and warm the family 
hearthstone with their winsome presence. 
In politics Mr. Priest is a Democrat, in 
fraternal life a Modern Woodman of 
America, and in religious affiliation a 
Methodist Episcopalian, belonging to the 
Southern branch of that church, of 
which his wife is also a member. 

Mr. Priest's grandfather, Matthew 
Priest, was a native of Virgina, where 
his forefathers were long residents and 
extensive planters. His father, William 
Priest, was born in Shelby county, Mis- 
souri, on November 4, 1837, and has 
passed the whole of his subsequent life 
in the count}', except when he was absent 
on a short mining expedition to Colorado 
before the Civil war and another after it 
and during the years of that momentous 
sectional conflict, when he was in the 
Confederate army. He was educated in 
the district schools and at Shelb^^ville 
High school. After leaving the high 
school he taught for a year, then, in 1859, 
when the almost universal slogan was 
"Pike's Peak or Bust," he crossed the 
plains with a mule team to Denver in 
search of gold. But he did not remain 
long on this expedition. Returning to 
Shelby county, he clerked in a general 
store in Shelbina until 1861. 

In that year, when martial music was 
all the American people heard, and the 
lowering of clouds of civil strife, which 
had so long darkened our whole sky, 
burst with all their fury on our unhappy 
country, he enlisted in the Confederate 
army under the command of Major 
Adams. He served to the end of the 
war, and at its close was mustered out 
of the service at Memphis, Tennessee. 



He took part in the battles of Lexington, 
Missouri, and Corinth, Mississippi, and 
was then transferred to the cavalry di- 
vision of the army under General Mar- 
maduke as first lieutenant of Company P 
in what was known as the Burbridge 
Regiment. He was twice slightly 
wounded, but not seriously enough to in- 
cajjacitate him for service, and took part 
in all of General Marmaduke's engage- 
ments. 

After the close of the war Mr. Priest 
returned to Shelbina and clerked in the 
general store of Sigbert Parsons until 
fire destroyed the entire business block 
in which the store was located. The next 
five years were passed by him on his 
father's farm, of which he had charge as 
general manager, and at the end of that 
period he again went to Colorado on a 
prospecting tour, which lasted until the 
autumn of 1876. Returning at that time 
once more to Missouri, he turned his at- 
tention again to farming and raising live 
stock, and to those industries he adhered 
until 190-t, when he gave uji all active 
imrsiiits. Since then he has lieen living 
quietly with his two married clii!'^ •?n. 

Mr. Priest was married in September, 
1877, to Miss Anna S. Vandiver, a daugh- 
ter of John W. Vandiver, of Shelby 
county, the patentee of the original corn 
planter. Of the four children born of 
this union three are living: William, 
who is a resident of Ogden, Utah ; Susan 
F., the wife of Dean C. Demmitt, whose 
home is in this county; and Thomas E., 
with an accoimt of whose life this me- 
moir begins. In politics the father has 
been a life long Democrat. He has served 
the township long and well as school di- 
rector and road overseer, and in other 



526 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



ways of value and practical utility. He 
has for many years been a devout and 
zealous member of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, South and has taken a 
leading part in all the work of the con- 
gregation to which he belongs. 

HE^^Y S. FUNK. 

The capacity to conduct affairs of mag- 
nitude and great moment and bring them 
to a successful conclusion is a rare one, 
and admirable wherever it is shown. The 
power to do this in the face of great 
and obstinate obstacles and to do it with 
seeming ease and freedom from anxiety 
or worry, is still rarer and more admir- 
able. The commanding might of mind is 
involved in any case, and when that 
operates apparently without friction, 
easily, smoothly and without variation 
or delay toward the destined or desired 
end, the evidence is clear that there is 
serenity and loftiness of s]iirit, a healthy 
balance of attributes and personality and 
masterly self-mustering of forces, allied 
with the intellectual supremacy in the 
man who makes the exhibit. In other 
words, that a man who is master of the 
situation and of himself has the matter 
to be accomplished in hand and will 
achieve it. 

In many ways in his career Henry S. 
Funk, of Clarence, Shelby county, Mis- 
souri, has shown that he is such a man. 
He has initiated, undei'taken and accom- 
plished great things, and has done it with 
such seeming ease that the magnitude 
of the achievements have not sufficiently 
impressed the public mind, and he has 
thereby robbed himself of a considerable 
measure of the credit that has been due 



him. But he is not a man who cares for 
this. It is results he aims at, and he is 
willing to let the rest of the considera- 
tions involved take care of themselves. 

Mr. Funk is a native of Veiinilion 
county, Illinois, and was born on a farm 
two and one-half miles east of Danville 
in that county on August 22, 1862. He 
is a son of Christian W. Funk, a native 
of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who came 
from there to Danville, Illinois, in com- 
pany with his cousin, Dr. I. K. Funk, 
the celebrated publisher of New York, 
for the purpose of looking over the coun- 
try. Christian Funk later located there, 
l)ut I. K. Funk returned to New York 
City. Christian Funk was a farmer and 
general business man, and also a car- 
penter. He built the first large hotel in 
Danville, and he owned and conducted 
it for a number of years. He was a close 
student of agriculture and horticulture 
and was a general seed producer for a 
number of years. 

The Funk family in this country origi- 
nated with four Mennonite bishops who 
were exiled from Germany and came to 
the United States, locating on Indian 
creek, Pennsylvania. They founded the 
Mennonite college at Bethlehem, in that 
state, and in many other ways left their 
impress on their time and the locality 
in which they lived. For they were men 
of strong intellectual powers and exten- 
sive accpiiremeuts in wide and compre- 
hensive learning, and also had a great 
force of character. One of them, Bishop 
Ifonry Funk, translated the celebrated 
work entitled "The Martyr's Mirror" 
from Dutch into English, and gave it cur- 
rency in this country. 

Kudol])li Funk, the paternal grand- 




HENRY S. FUNK 



. 



HISTOT!Y OF SHELBY COUNTY 



527 



father of Henry S., was born in Lan- 
caster county, Pennsylvania, and Hen- 
ry's father was also a native of that 
state. During the Civil war in this coun- 
try he sjTnpathized with the South, but 
he never took a very active part in po- 
litical atfairs. In all the other relations 
of life he was, however, a man of unusual 
energy and ca]iability, and, like many 
other members of the family, past and 
present, never undertook anything which 
he did not achieve. He died at Danville, 
Illinois, on May 10, 1872. The mother 
was Mary Shotf, a daughter of Eudolph 
and Christina (Stauffer) Shoff, who 
were also Pennsylvanians by nativity, 
and born and reared in Lancaster 
county. Of the seven children born of 
the union three grew to maturity and 
ai'e still living. They are : Fanny, the 
wife of A. W. Boardmau, of Toledo, 
Ohio, the general manager of the Rey- 
nolds Bros. Elevator Company, of that 
city; Albert, a j^rominent real estate 
dealer of Danville, Illinois, and Henry 
S., of Shelby county, Missouri. 

The last named obtained his education 
mainly in the public schools of Danville, 
Illinois, but after leaving them and work- 
ing for a period of five years, he passed 
three months at a State Normal school in 
that city. At the age of thirteen he be- 
gan working for a small compensation in 
a garden and from that a few years later 
passed to renting farm lands and raising 
live stock. In 188.3 he engaged in mer- 
chandising, but his interest was never 
weaned away from the farm, and after 
a time he returned to it. He came to 
Missouri in 1895 and located in Taylor 
township, this county, where he has ever 
since resided and been engaged exten- 



sively in farming and raising stock. In 
this county he controls and cultivates 
over 2,000 acres of land and has a stock 
industry in proportion, giving close, care- 
ful and intelligent attention to every de- 
tail of the work in both lines of his en- 
deavor, and making everything connected 
with either tell to his advantage. 

But Mr. Funk has not been only a 
farmer and stock man, extensively as he 
has operated in these lines of effort. For 
a number of years he has been a railroad 
promoter, and his ability in this depart- 
ment of creative work is well shown by 
his latest achievement in it. At the ear- 
nest solicitation of the farmers along the 
line he inaugurated the Hannibal & 
Northern Electric Railway, of which he 
is now vice-president, an electric line 
o]ierating between Hannibal and Kirks- 
ville, in this state, and it has been chiefly 
through his instrumentality and endeav- 
ors that the line became a possibility and 
later will be an accomplished and very 
useful institution. 

Mr. Funk is an author, too, and many 
productions from his facile and virile 
pen have attracted wide attention and 
brought forth highly favorable com- 
ments, because of their genuine merit. 
He is now writing a book on "Farm 
Life," which is sure to be full of interest 
and information, for it will be based 
on the extensive experience of a man 
who knows how to tell his story in a 
graphic and impressive way. In addi- 
tion, he is not only a great lover of mu- 
sic, but is highly accomplished in both 
the science and the art of making "con- 
course of sweet sounds." He has a rich 
baritone voice that has delighted thou- 
sands who have heard him sing, and has 



528 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



brought him many flattering offers of 
engagements on the stage. 

In politics he adheres faithfully and 
firmly to the Democratic party, but at the 
same time is independent, and in local 
affairs believes in voting for the candi- 
date he considers best for the welfare 
of the people without regard to partisan 
considerations. In advocating the con- 
victions he holds he has always been ac- 
counted a successful political leader, but 
he has never sought or desired a political 
office of any kind, either by election or 
appointment. Fraternally he is allied 
with the Masonic order, the Improved 
Order of Red INIen and the Modern Wood- 
men of America, and believing in their 
benefit to the communities in which they 
are located, he has ever been a liberal 
contributor to all churches without re- 
striction on account of denominational or 
other considerations. His public spirit 
is shown in his ardent supjiort of all 
undertakings of merit for the improve 
ment or advancement of his township 
and county, and by his having laid out 
and given to the city of Danville, Illi- 
noio, more streets and alleys than any 
other man. It is shown especially by his 
self-sacrifice and enterprise in connection 
with the electric railway line he is build- 
ing, which, while it may result in con- 
siderable profit to him hereafter, sub- 
jects liim at ])resent to the risk of losing 
everything he has. I\Ir. Funk has been 
twice married and has a family of three 
daughters by his first marriage, as fol- 
lows: Lila, who is now ]\Irs. John Fish- 
er, of this county; Ada, still at home, and 
Zora, now Mrs. Dale Ilolloway, of Hen- 
ning, 111. His second marriage occurred 
on December 2.3, 190'2, the lady of his 



choice being Mrs. Georgia A. Qeenan, a 
native of Crawfordsville, Ind. Mrs. 
Funk's maiden name was Georgia A. 
Nilest. Her parents, George and Lena 
(Fisher) Nilest, are still esteemed resi- 
dents of Crawfordsville, Ind. One 
daughter has been born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Funk, Romona Cecelia. He is one of 
the most prominent and influential men 
in the county and is fully entitled, on 
demonstrated merit, to the rank beholds. 

DR. HARRY B. HAMMOND. 

Standing high in his profession, prom- 
inent and influential as a citizen, having 
a potential voice in the public affairs of 
the community of his home, and radiant 
as a sunbeam in social life, Dr. Harr)' B. 
Hammond, one of the leading dentists of 
Shelby county, is of great service to 
the people of Shelby\nlle, which is the 
seat of his operations, in many different 
ways. He is a native of Missouri, born 
in Lincoln county on February 6, 1872, 
and a son of Thomas H. Hammond, who 
was born at Troy in that county in 1S.39. 
The paternal grandfather, Rol>ert Ham- 
mond, came to this state from Kentucky 
at an early date and helped to lay the 
foundations of the present civilization 
and fix the fonns of government of the 
locality in which he settled. He was a 
man of strong personality, groat force of 
character and a wide knowledge of pub- 
lic affairs, and as the ]ieriod of his ar- 
rival was a formative one, his capalnl- 
ities were in great demand in the service 
of the people. 

His son Thomas, the father of the 
Doctor, was I'eared to manhood and edu- 
cated in Lincoln county, Missoui-i, and 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



539 



followed farming there iu a vigorous and 
progressive way, and with great suc- 
cess, until 1907, when he retired from 
active pursuits and moved to St. Louis, 
where he is now enjoying the competence 
he acquired by his long years of ardu- 
ous labor, the esteem of the people, 
which he won by his worth as a man and 
his usefulness as a citizen, and the rest 
he so richly earned. He also was a man 
of prominence during the days of his 
activity and wielded considerable influ- 
ence in Lincoln county, being elected 
county assessor in 1880 and re-elected in 
1882. After that he served for a number 
of years as chairman of the county cen- 
tral committee of the Democratic party, 
of which he has been a life-long member, 
and won high commendation for his wis- 
dom in the councils and his activity and 
effectiveness in the detail work of his 
party through many hard-fought cam- 
paigns. 

He was married in 1861 to Miss Mollie 
Shelton, of Lincoln county, in this state. 
They had four children, all of whom are 
living: Robert L., Cooper S., and Lucy, 
who are all residents of St. Louis, and 
Dr. Harry B., of Shelbyville. Their 
mother died in 1878, and in 1881 the 
father married a second time, making 
Miss Martha Light, a native of Virginia, 
his wife on this occasion. They have 
had two children, their son Wallace T. 
and their daughter Mary I., both of 
whom are living and reside in St. Louis. 
The father is a member of the Masonic 
order and of the Missionary Baptist 
church. 

Dr. Harry B. Hammond obtained his 
academic training in the district school's 
of his native county and a graded public 



school iu Troy, Missouri. After leaving 
school he worked for the street railway 
company in St. Louis two years. In 
1895 he entered the dental department 
of Washington University, St. Louis, 
and was graduated from that institution 
with the degree of D. M. D. in 1898. He 
began practicing at Shelbyville the same 
year and has been continuously and suc- 
cessfully engaged in his professional 
work there from that time to the present 
(1910). He is considered invaluable to 
the professional life of the city, as his 
practice is very large and his patrons 
are devotedly loyal to him and constant 
in their esteem of him and his work. 

On October 22, 1897, Dr. Hammond 
was united in marriage with Miss Anna 
M. Knest, a daughter of John C. and 
Katherine Knest, popular residents of 
St. Louis. They have one child, their 
son Thomas B., who is living at home 
with his parents. The Doctor is a Dem- 
ocrat in politics, an Odd Fellow in fra- 
ternal relations and a Baptist in relig- 
ious affiliation. He is a leading member 
of the Missouri Dental Association and 
the Washington University Alumni As- 
sociation. He takes an earnest interest 
and helpful part in all matters of local 
improvement, and is accounted one of the 
best citizens of Shelbyville and Shelby 
county. 

FRED CRAIGMYLE. 

The interesting subject of this brief 
memoir is in all essential respects a self- 
made man. He began the battle of life 
for himself at the age of twenty, and 
without variance or a shadow of turn- 
ing he has remained in his part of the 
great field of human endeavor from that 



530 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COL^XTY 



time to the present (1910), except that 
he is now living on and cultivating a 
fann of 175 acres of his own, which he 
has acquired through his industry, thrift 
and excellent management. 

]\Ir. Craigmyle was born in Shelby 
county, Missouri, on February 18, 1873. 
His grandfather Craigmyle was a native 
of Kentucky, as was also his father, hav- 
ing been born in that state in 1821. He 
came to Missouri in about 1855, and took 
up his residence in Marion county, but 
after a residence of a few years in that 
county he moved to Shelby county and 
located on a good farm near Oakdale. 
There he followed farming and general 
stock raising until his death in Novem- 
ber, 1878. He was successful in his un- 
dertakings and prospered here in a 
gratifying manner. 

On May 30, 1861, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Sallie Evans, a na- 
tive of Maryland. They became the par- 
ents of three children, all of whom are 
living and reside in Shelby county. They 
are: Kate, the wife of Fred Beottcher, 
John T. and Ferd. The father was a 
Democrat in political faith and a mem- 
ber of the Southern Methodist church in 
his religious connection. The mother is 
still living and has her home on the old 
homestead. 

Their son Ferd. was educated in the 
district schools of Shelby county, but his 
opportunities in this respect were lim- 
ited. For his services were needed on 
his father's fanii during the working 
seasons, and even in the winter months 
he was often obliged to remain away 
from school to perform some duty at 
home. In April, 1890, he purchased a 
farm of 160 acres and set up for himself 



as a farmer of extensive operations. He 
worked hard and saved his revenues, 
making every hour of his time and every 
stroke of his aim tell to his advantage, 
and managing his affairs with excellent 
judgment in order to secure a foothold 
in the struggle among mankind for ad- 
vancement. On this land he carries on 
general farming and handles large num- 
bers of live stock of various kinds. 
Every year of etTort has added to his 
success and prosperity, and he is now 
one of the substantial and well-to-do 
farmers of the township in which he 
lives. His farm is near Oakdale in Jack- 
son township. 

On Febmary 15, 1899, he was united 
in marriage with Miss ^laud Coomes, a 
native of Shelby county. They have one 
child, their son Lloyd, who is at home 
and going to school. In politics the 
father is a firm and faithful Democrat, 
and while he neither seeks nor desires a 
l)olitical office of any kind, he takes an 
active interest and a helpful part in the 
affairs of his party, giving it loyal sup- 
port on all occasions and doing what he 
can to help make it successful in all its 
campaigns. In religious affiliation he is 
connected with the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, South. 

As a good citizen should, 'Sir. Craig- 
myle has manifested a deep and earnest 
interest in the growth, development and 
improvement of his township and county, 
and he has at all times done what he 
could to push their car of progress along 
on lines of wholesome advancement. His 
woi'th as a man and his usefulness as a 
citizen have won him the confidence and 
respect of all classes of people wherever 
he is known. 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



531 



HENRY VON THUN. 

Although he has passed nearly the 
whole of his life to this time in Shelby 
county, and is thoroughly imbued with 
the spirit and aspirations of its inhab- 
itants, Henry Von Thun, of Black Creek 
township, where he is one of the substan- 
tial and progressive farmers and stock 
men, is not a native of this state or 
country. He was born in the provine of 
Victoria, Australia, on October 31, 1861, 
and is a son of Nicholas and Caroline 
(Bui'khart) Von Thun, and a brother of 
John 0. Von Thun, a sketch of whom 
will be foimd in this volume. Reference 
is made to that sketch for the history of 
the parents. 

The family moved to the United States 
and located in Shelby count}% Missouri, 
in 1868, when Henry was seven years old, 
being among the early arrivals in the 
German Lutheran settlement here. He 
obtained his education in the district 
schools of this county, and while at- 
tending them assisted the family by 
working on the home farm and hiring 
out on other farms and cropping on his 
own account. In 1866 he engaged in 
farming and raising live stock for liim- 
self, and he has continued his operations 
in these lines of interesting and profit- 
able effort from then until now. His 
present farm comprises 160 acres and 
the greater jiart of it is under advanced 
and skillful cultivation. The stock in- 
dustry carried on in connection with the 
farming operations is extensive and it 
also is profitable. Mr. Von Thun is a 
man of intelligence and good judgment 
in his lines of work, and he puts all his 
energies and acquirements in service to 
make a success of it. In this he has suc- 



ceeded admirably, winning a competence 
for himself and establishing himself 
firmly in the regard and good will of the 
people around him. 

On January 14, 1892, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Mary Neuschafer, a 
daughter of John and Catherine (Rein- 
himer) Neuschafer, esteemed residents 
of this count5^ Five children were born 
of the union, all of whom are living and 
still members of the parental family 
circle. They are Anna, Bertha, Lena, 
Virgie and Mary Evehna. The parents 
are devoted and active working mem- 
bers of the German Lutheran church, 
and in politics the father is a Republican 
of firm convictions, always loyally sup- 
porting the principles and candidates of 
his party and working for its success, al- 
though he is not himself desirous of hold- 
ing any political office. 

His devotion to his party springs from 
a sense of duty, and is kindred in its 
source and its results to his deep and 
serviceable interest in the welfare of his 
township and county. In their behalf he 
is always ready to do anything in his 
power to advance their interests, pro- 
mote their improvement, or enlarge the 
conveniences and comforts of their peo- 
ple. He is true to every duty of good 
citizenship, and the people who live 
around him and know his worth and fi- 
delity, esteem him highly and accredit 
him as one of the best and most useful 
men among them. 

PETER KELLER. 

Peter Keller, one of the prosperous, 
enterprising and progressive farmers of 
Bhick Creek township, Shelby county, is 
a member of that industrious and thrifty 



532 



IIISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



race which has commanded the admira- 
tion of the world by the persistency of its 
enterprise, its capacity for close and 
steady api3lication, and its masterly 
achievements in every line of human 
thought and action. He was born in 
Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, on May 
23, 1867, a son of Philip and Margaret 
(Feldman) Ivellei-, also natives of that 
jiortion of the German emj^ire, and be- 
longing to families resident there for 
many generations. 

The father was born in 1840 and in 

1882 came to the United States and di- 
rect to this county, bringing his family 
with him. His first marriage, which was 
with Miss Margaret Feldman of the 
same nativity as himself, took place in 
1860. They had eight children, four of 
whom are living: Peter, the subject of 
this brief review; Philip, who resides in 
this county ; Catherine, the wife of Henry 
Eathjen, also a resident of this county, 
a sketch of whom api^ears in this volume ; 
and Louis J., whose home is in St. 
Joseph, Missouri. 

The motlier of these children died in 

1883 and in 1884 the father was married 
to Mrs. Catherine Quenzer (Beyer), who 
was also born in Germany. He is a Ee- 
pul)lican in politics, with an abiding faith 
in the principles of his party and great 
zeal and activity in its service in all cam- 
paigns. His religious connection is with 
the Lutheran church, in which he takes a 
very earnest interest and is an active 
worker, especially in the congregation to 
which he belongs. 

His son Peter was educated in the 
state or public schools of his native 
land, and after his arrival in this coun- 
try at tlie age of fifteen worked for a 



number of years on his father's farm and 
assisted the family. 'WTien he attained 
his majority, or soon afterward, he be- 
gan farming for himself, applying to his 
work all that close study of the business 
and reflective observation taught him 
about it, and from the very beginning of 
his career as a farmer he has been suc- 
cessful and prosperous. He now owns 
190 acres of good land which he has 
made veiy productive and improved 
with taste and good judgment, making 
it one of the valuable and attractive 
rural homes in Black Creek township, 
which has many of the same kind. 

On February 16, 1890, he man-ied with 
Miss Maria Catherine Quenzer, a native 
of Germany, who came to this country in 
1884, at the age of twelve years, with her 
mother, Mrs. Katharina Quenzer, widow 
of Mich. Quenzer, and who afteiTvard 
married Peter Keller, the father, as has 
before been stated. They have had three 
children, two of whom are living, their 
sons Philip, born in November, 1891, 
baptized January 30, 1892, and Carl Al- 
bert, born April 24, 1907, baptized ]\ray 
20, 1909, both of whom are still at home 
with their parents. The other child was 
a daughter of the household named 
Gretchen, born June 7, 1894, baptized 
July 15, 1904, who died on August 3, 
1909, at the age of fifteen. She was a 
very iiromising young lady and her un- 
timely death enveloped the whole com- 
munity in grief and gloom. The father 
is a Bepublican in politics and a Luth- 
eran in religion. He takes a helpful in- 
terest in everything pertaining to the 
welfare of his township and county and 
is accounted one of the best and most 
useful citizens they have. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



533 



PHILIP KELLER, JR. 

Among tlie wide-awake, enterprising 
and progressive farmers and stock men 
of Black Creek township, in this county, 
Philip Keller, Jr., is entitled to a high 
rank, both on account of his achieve- 
ments in what he has done and his aims 
at higher and better results in stock 
breeding for himself and the people all 
around him. He has for years been ac- 
tive and energetic in his efforts to raise 
the standard of cattle in his township, 
and by his energy, foresight and per- 
sistency, he has been successful in a 
large measure. 

Mr. Keller was born in Griesheim 
Hessen Darmstadt, Germany, on March 
22, 1873, and came to the United States 
and Shelby county, Missouri, with his 
parents when he was a boy nine years 
old. He is a brother of Peter Keller, in 
a sketch of whom in this work the family 
history will be found. He began his edu- 
cation in the schools of his native land 
and completed it in those of this county. 
After leaving school he worked on his 
father's farm and assisted the family, re- 
maining at home with his parents until 
1895. He then bought the farm of 150 
acres of land on which he now I'esides 
and since that time has been industrious 
and constantly engaged in cultivating, 
developing and improving it. He has 
made it a model of its size and character 
and increased its value considerably. 

In connection with his farming he car- 
ries on an active and flourishing indus- 
try in raising live stock and otherwise 
handling this necessary commodity for 
the markets. His specialty in this line 
is thorouglibred Aberdeen- Angus cattle, 



and his herd is one of the best known 
and most admired in this part of the 
state. From it he has introduced the 
breed into other herds, greatly to their 
advantage and that of the men who own 
them, and much to the improvement of 
the grade of cattle produced in the lo- 
cality. 

Mr. Keller is very energetic in the 
management of his business, losing no 
opportunity to enhance his prosperity 
and realize the desires he has in connec- 
tion with the live stock industry in this 
county, and his enterprise in this behalf 
is highly appreciated by the people resi- 
dent here. He is also alive and alert in 
reference to the general welfare of the 
region in other ways, giving his earnest 
aid to every worthy undertaking for the 
improvement of his township and county 
and the benefit of their inhabitants. In 
politics he is a Republican, and in re- 
ligion he and his wife are Lutherans. 

On November 3, 1895, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Lizzie Neuschafer, 
a daughter of the late John and Kather- 
ine Neuschafer, of this county. Two 
children have been born of this union, 
Lydia and Anna Marie, and both are 
still living at home with their parents. 
The latter are reckoned among the most 
worthy and estimable citizens of Black 
Creek township, as they are known to be 
faithful in the performance of every duty 
with reference to both public and private 
life, and to be impelled by lofty motives 
and aiming at highly commendable re- 
sults in all their activities. They ai'e con- 
sistent members of their church and 
zealous workers for its advancement in 
every way. 



534 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



WILLIAM M. HAWKER. 

Mr. Hawker has been a resident of 
Missouri since his childhood days and 
has been long and prominently identified 
with the great basic industry of agri- 
culture^ in this section of the state. In 
connection with this important line of 
enterprise he gained large and substan- 
tial success, becoming one of the large 
landowners and influential citizens of 
Marion county, and continuing to reside 
on his fine homestead farm until Febru- 
ary, 1904, when he removed to the at- 
tractive little city of Hunnewell, Shelby 
county, where he owns and occupies a 
commodious and modern residence and 
where he is living virtually retired. 

Mr. Hawker has the distinction of be- 
ing a native of the island of Jamaica, 
West Indies, where his father was a resi- 
dent for a few years after his immigra- 
tion from Germany. Mr. Hawker is a 
son of Frederick and Louise (Ginter) 
Hawker, both of whom were born and 
reared in Germany, where their marriage 
was solemnized, in the city of Guten- 
berg. In 1844 they came from the island 
of Jamaica to the United States, and 
soon aftei'ward established their home in 
Marion county, Missouri. The father 
purchased land in Warren township and 
thereafter gave his attention principally 
to farming and stock-growing until his 
death, which occurred in 1869. His wife 
passed to the life eternal in 1871, and 
both were earnest members of the Luth- 
eran church. Of their eight children six 
are now living, namely: William M., 
who is the immediate subject of this re- 
view; Mary, who is the wife of Finley 
Mitchell, of Marion county; Elizabeth, 



who is the wife of William Barnett, of 
the same county ; John, who is the owner 
of a valuable ranch in the famous Bitter- 
root valley of Montana; Fannie, who is 
the wife of Joseph Freeland, of North 
Dakota; and Etta, who is the wife of 
Edward Ettings, of LaBelle, Missouri. 
The father espoused the cause of the 
Republican party at the time of its or- 
ganization and thereafter continued a 
stalwart supporter of its cause until his 
death. During the Civil war he was loyal 
to the Union and did all in his power 
to aid in its preservation. 

William M. Hawker was about two 
years of age at the time of the family 
removal to Marion county, Missouri, 
where he was reared to manhood on the 
home farm and received a common school 
education, which he has since effectually 
amplified through his association with 
the practical activities of life and 
through his well directed reading. Dur- 
ing his entire active career he never 
abated his allegiance to agriculture and 
its allied industry of stock-raising, and 
he directed his energies with marked 
discrimination and ability, so that he 
received the most generous returns from 
his efforts. He acciunulated a fine landed 
estate of 320 acres, and the same was 
as productive and valuable land as can 
be found in this favored section of the 
state. His old homestead, now owii^d 
by one of his sons, comprises 316 acres. 
His residence is one of the most modern 
and attractive in the village and is sur- 
rounded by grounds comprising about 
three acres and twenty acres nearby. 
Mr. Hawker is a stockholder and director 
of the Farmers' & Merchants' Bank of 
Hunnewell, in politics he gives a staunch 



> 

a 



r 
r 



> 
m 




Iff 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



535 



adherence to the Republican party, and 
both he and his wife are zealous members 
of the Baptist church, in which he is a 
deacon. During the Civil war Mr. 
Hawker was thoroughly in sympathy 
with the cause of the Union, and in 1862 
he enlisted in the home g-uard, being a 
member of the company stationed at 
Palmyra, this state, under command of 
Captain Lear. 

On the 11th of February, 1861, was 
solemnized the marriage of Mr. Hawker 
to Miss Sarah F. Couch, who was born 
and reared in Marion county, this state, 
where her father, Marshall Couch, was 
an early settler. Mr. and Mrs. Hawker 
became the parents of eight children and 
all are living except one son that died. 
Mollie is the wife of Harry Huggins, of 
Shelbina, this county; Charles is engaged 
in farming in Salt River township; El- 
vira is the wife of Thomas Burdett, of 
Sharpsburg, Missouri; Frederick has 
charge of the old homestead farm, in 
Salt River township, Marion county; 
Vernie is engaged in farming in Shelby 
county; Myrtle is the widow of Charles 
Enyard and now resides in the city of 
St. Louis; and Gertrude is the wife of 
James Freshwater, a farmer of Marion 
county. 

GEORGE E. STEWART. 

All of the forty-two years of life which 
George E. Stewart, one of the enterpris- 
ing, progressive and successful farmers 
living near Clarence, has lived from his 
birth, on January 13, 1868, to the present 
time (1910), have been passed in Slielby 
county, and those of them since he ar- 
rived at years of discretion and produc- 
tiveness have been fruitful in good both 



for himself and the locality in which he 
has spent them. For he has been one of 
the reliable men in promoting every 
form of public improvement and devel- 
oping every resource of value whom his 
township has furnished to aid in push- 
ing forward the car of progress in the 
agricultural, industrial and commercial 
life of the county. 

Mr. Stewart was born in the county 
and has never felt any strong inclination 
to wander beyond its borders. He ob- 
tained his education in its public schools, 
grew to manhood on one of its fertile 
farms, married one of its esteemed 
daughters, and has, ever since he began 
the battle of life for himself, been a con- 
tributor directly and essentially to its 
welfare and the benefit of its people. He 
is a son of William and Elizabeth (Las- 
ley) Stewart, natives of Ireland. The 
father was born in 1812, came to this 
country when he was a young man and 
located for a time in Pennsylvania. He 
then came West with the tide of migra- 
tion that was surging toward the Rocky 
mountains and settled in Shelby county, 
Missouri, where he passed the remainder 
of his days. He was actively and profit- 
ably engaged in farming and raising live 
stock in this county until 1887. Tn that 
year he retired from active pursuits and 
from then until his death, on February 
9, 1899, lived with his son George. In 
connection with his farming operations 
he also did considerable work at his trade 
as a stone mason in the neighborhood of 
his home. Among other buildings on 
which he worked, which are of historic 
interest, was the old Bethel mill, which 
was long a landmark in the region and a 
rallying ])Iace for tlie whole countryside, 



536 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



of which he laid the foundation, ffis 
skill was emploj-ed also on other struc- 
tures with histories, for he was an early 
arrival in the county and helped blaze 
the way for the civilization and develop- 
ment that was soon to follow in his wake. 

He was married in 1845 to Miss Eliza- 
beth Lasley, who also came to this coun- 
try from Ireland, as has been stated, and 
they became the parents of twelve chil- 
dren, eight of whom are living: Marga- 
ret, the wife of "William Stone, of Tama 
county, Iowa ; Mary, the wife of George 
Sickle, of Shelby county, Missouri; Eob- 
ert, whose home is in Shelbj^ville ; Eliza, 
the wife of W. G. Chick, also a resident 
of Shelbyville; Alice, the wife of J. W. 
Eay, of this county ; Andrew, a prosper- 
ous Shelby county farmer; Celestia, the 
wife of William West, of Kansas; and 
George E. In politics the father was a 
Eepublican, in fraternal life an Odd Fel- 
low and in religion a Presbyterian. 

George E. Stewart was educated in 
the district schools of this county and 
started his career as a farmer and stock 
man very early in life. His first venture 
was the purchase of 131 acres of land on 
which he went to work for himself, and 
from the start he has been successful and 
enjoyed increasing prosperity as the 
years have passed. He farms well and 
wisely and his farm responds generously 
to his skillful husbandry. His stock in- 
dustry is extensive, and it, also, is active 
and ]irofitable. Both are managed with 
intelligence and the most careful atten- 
tion to every detail of the work connected 
with them from start to finish. 

On September 3, 1890, Mr. Stewart was 
united in marriage with Miss Anninda 
Hirrlinger, a daughter of Jacob P. and 



Martha (McCroskey) Hirrlinger, es- 
teemed residents of this county. Three 
children have been born in the Stewart 
liousehold, and all of them are living and 
still at home with their parents. They 
are two daughters, Geraldine E. and El- 
sie L., and a son, Kenneth W. In poli- 
tics the father is a Prohibitionist and in 
religion a member of Holiness church, to 
which his wife belongs also. They are 
active and zealous workers in the church 
and take an earnest and serviceable in- 
terest in everything pertaining to the ad- 
vancement and improvement of the town- 
ship and county in which they live. 
Everybody that knows them respects 
them for their worth and the estimable 
quality of their citizenship. 

HARMAN EATHJEX. 

Beginning his career as a fanner on 
his own account at the dawn of his man- 
hood, and continuing it without inter- 
ruption through all the subsequent years 
of his busy life, Harman Eathjen, one of 
the wideawake and enterjirising farmers 
and stock men of Black Creek township 
in this county, has given a fine example 
of what steadfastness of purpose and 
the use of every opportunity for ad- 
vancement can accomplish even in the 
unobstrusive and often unnoted life of 
a husbandman in the rural districts of 
this state, far from the seaboard and 
aside from the highways of the world's 
great activities. 

Mr. Eathjen is a native of Shelby 
county and was born in 1871. He was 
educated in the district schools of the 
county, attending for the most part the 
Red Star school in the township of his 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



537 



present residence. He is a brother of 
Henry Batlijen, a sketch of whom ap- 
pears in this woi-k in which the history 
of the parents will be found. After leav- 
ing school, and while attending, he 
worked on the home farm with his father, 
remaining at home and assisting the 
family until 1893. He then bought the 
farm on which he now resides and to the 
development, improvement and cultiva- 
tion of which he has ever since devoted 
the greater part of his time and energies. 
This farm comprises 129 acres and is 
one of the best of its size in the town- 
ship. It is well improved, vigorously 
and skilfully cultivated and has been 
brought by his labors and good manage- 
ment to a high state of productiveness. 
The live stock industry carried on in 
connection with the farming operations 
is extensive and active, and sedulous care 
to every requirement of the business, 
with a view to securing the best results, 
has made it highly profitable. The spe- 
cialties of this industry are cattle and 
hogs of superior breeds. 

Mr. Eathjen was married on Febru- 
ary 17, 1896, to Miss Elizabeth Neu- 
sehafer, a daughter of the late John and 
Catherine (Reinheimer) Neuschafer, of 
this county. Four children were bom of 
the union, three of whom are living, and 
all still at home with their parents. They 
are Amelia, the daughter of the hoiise, 
and Edward and Alfred, the sons. In 
politics the father is a Democrat of the 
reliable and constant kind, and in re- 
ligion he and his wife are Lutherans, de- 
votedly loyal to their church and serv- 
iceable to the congregation to which they 
belong. 

Mr. Rathjen has been successful in his 



business, building it to good proportions 
and conducting it with vigor, enterprise 
and progressiveness. He has also been 
attentive to the wants of his township 
and county, and given his energetic and 
helpful aid to everj' worthy undertaking 
for their advancement. While not an of- 
fice seeker in any sense, he has been of 
great service to his political party in all 
the campaigns it has conducted since his 
youth, and by the spirit and effective- 
ness of his work in its behalf has won 
the appreciative regard of both its lead- 
ers and its rank and file. He is consid- 
ered one of the best and most represen- 
tative citizens of his township, and is 
correspondingly esteemed by all its in- 
habitants. 

VALENTINE KRAUTEE. 

With filial devotion to his parents that 
is altogether commendable, this esteemed 
farmer and stock man of Clay township, 
Shelby county, has passed with them the 
years of his maturity as he did those of 
his childhood and youth, assisting in 
providing for the wants of the family 
and helping in every way available to 
him in bettering the condition of its 
members. Since the death of his father 
in 1908, at the age of seventy-seven 
years, he has stood loyally by his nearer 
jDarent and looked after her comfort with 
constant and considerate attention. 

He was bom on March 13, 1870, in 
Grosherzogthun Hessen, Germany, and is 
a son of Peter and Margarotta (Borok) 
Krauter, also natives of that ijlacc. The 
father was born there in 1831 and came 
to the United States in 1881, settling 
among the German Lutherans in Shelby 



538 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



f^^'iuty, Missouri. Here lie engaged in 
general farming until his death, which 
occurred in 1908. His marriage occurred 
in 1859, and he and his wife were the 
parents of four children, two of whom 
are living, Valentine and his older sister 
Katharine, the wife of James Sass, of 
this county, a sketch of whom will be 
found in this volume. The father was 
a Republican in polities and a Lutheran 
in religion. 

His son Valentine began his education 
in his native land and completed it in a 
district school in Shelby county, which 
he attended for a short time. He came 
to this country and Shelby coimty with 
his parents when he was eleven years 
old and grew to manhood here, where he 
has lived and labored ever since, giving 
all his energies to the advancement of 
his own fortunes and the development 
and improvement of the township and 
county in which he lives. Wliile grow- 
ing to manhood he worked on the farm 
operated by his father and he has been 
actively and prosperously engaged in 
the same occupation during all the subse- 
quent years of his life. 

Mr. Krauter began operations for him- 
self with literally nothing in the way of 
cai^ital or worldly possessions, and has 
made all he now owns liy his own un- 
aided efforts, to use his own expressive 
utterance on the subject, digging all he 
has out of the ground. His success in 
his careful and continued industiy is a 
tribute alike to his own enterprise and 
good management aud to the land which 
he has cultivated — the ground out of 
which he has dug the substance of his 
estate. He now owns IfiO acres of land 
which he cultivates and twenty acres of 



valuable timber land. He also carries 
on a very active and flourishing live 
stock industry, which he manages with 
the same care, intelligence and attention 
to details that he employs in his farm- 
ing, and he makes it profitable by this 
method of conducting it. 

Since the death of his fathei", as has 
been stated, he has lived with and cared 
for his mother, who is now sixty-nine 
years of age. In his political faith and 
allegiance he is connected with the Re- 
publican party, and although he has no 
aspiration to official station and desires 
nothing of public life, he is loyal and 
serviceable to his party and true to the 
political convictions he holds. In re- 
ligion he is a Lutheran, cordially inter- 
ested in his church and at all times ready 
to do what he can to advance its inter- 
ests. He is also true to the locality in 
which he lives, giving his energetic and 
effective support to every commendable 
undertaking for its advancement, and 
helping in every way at his command to 
augment and intensify the mental, moral 
and social agencies at woi-k among its 
people. The duties of citizenship rest 
upon him as an imperative obligation, 
and none of them is neglected or slighted 
by him. He is well worthy of the imi- 
vei'sal esteem in which he is held 
throughout Clay township and in all 
other parts of Shelby county. 

JONATHAN JARRELL. 

This successful, enterprising and pro- 
gressive farmer and stock man of Black 
Creek townshi]), this county, is a native 
of Kent county, state of Delaware, whose 
boast has long been that she represents 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



539 



I 



"greatness, not bigness," where lie was 
born in 1854. He is a brother of James 
Wesley Jarrell, who is also a resident 
and prosperous farmer and stock man 
of the same township in Shelby county 
in which his brother Jonathan lives. A 
sketch of him will be found in this vol- 
lune, and in that the family history will 
appear at some length. The brothers 
have been residents and important fac- 
tors in the agricultural life of the county 
since 1865, when they came to this lo- 
cality with their parents after a resi- 
dence of a few years in Rush county, In- 
diana. 

Jonathan Jarrell was a boy of eleven 
years of age when he came to Shelby 
county, and in the district schools of this 
county he completed the education he had 
begim in those of Rush county, Indiana. 
During the last forty-five years he has 
lived in Shelby county, and during the 
whole of that period, after he reached 
years of maturity, he has been actively 
and progressively engaged in farming 
and raising live stock. His present farm 
comprises sixty acres of fine land, is well 
improved with good buildings and has 
been brought by his industry, enterprise 
and thrift to a high state of development 
and productiveness. His stock industry 
is as large as his acreage justifies, and is 
conducted with the same care, attention 
to every detail and extensive and accu- 
rate knowledge of its requirements that 
distinguish him in his farming opera- 
tions, and in both he has been so success- 
ful as to have won a reputation as one of 
the best and most progressive men in his 
township engaged in these interesting 
and profitable pursuits. 

In his political faith and activity Mr. 



Jarrell is a devoted member of the Dem- 
ocratic party and one of the ardent work- 
ers in his township for its success and 
advancement. In religious allegiance he 
is allied with the Christian church, and 
in its welfare he also takes an active and 
serviceable interest. He has been ef- 
fective and loyal in his work for the de- 
velojiment and improvement of his coun- 
ty and township, and his enterprise and 
public spirit in their behalf are well ap- 
preciated by their people. 

Mr. Jarrell was married in 1890 to 
Miss Eliza Fink, a resident of Shelby 
at the time of her marriage. They have 
one child, their son Roy, who is still a 
member of the parental household and 
following in his father's footsteps by 
fidelity to every duty and laborious ef- 
forts to aid in advancing the interests 
and ])rosperity of the famil.v to which 
he belongs. The father is one of the best 
known and most esteemed citizens of his 
township, and his long life of usefulness 
among the people of this section gives 
him full title to the general regard in 
which he stands. He has shown himself 
to be a good citizen as well as a good 
farmer, and there is no one who knows 
him that does not respect him. 

JAMES WESLEY JARRELL. 

Like his younger brother, Jonathan 
Jarrell, who is a resident of Black Creek 
township, this county, and a sketcli of 
whom appears in this work, James Wes- 
ley Jarrell, of the same township, and 
one of its jirogressive and wide-awake 
farmers and stock men, is a native of 
Kent county, Delaware, where he was 
horn in 1852. He is a son of John P. 



540 



IIISTOEY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



and Elyda (Minner) Jarrell, of the same 
nativity as himself. The father was 
born in 1827 and left his native state of 
Delaware with his wife and the children 
they then had in 1857, locating in Eush 
county, Indiana, where the family lived 
until 1865, and then moved to Missouri, 
taking up a new residence in Shelby 
county. The father was a farmer all his 
life from youth to his death, in 1892, and 
was closely connected with and inter- 
ested in the welfare and prosperity of 
this county during the last twenty-seven 
years of his earthly career. He was suc- 
cessful in his operations, according to 
the standards of his day and was true to 
all the duties of citizenship in every re- 
spect. His marriage with Miss Minner 
took place in 1848, and they became the 
parents of five children, all of whom are 
living. They are : James AVesley, Jona- 
than, William, Samuel T. and George 
W., and are all residents of this county 
but Samuel T., whose home is at Tyrone, 
Oklahoma. The father was a Democrat 
in his political faith and a member of the 
Christian church in his religious affilia- 
tion. 

James Wesley obtained his education 
in the district schools of Rush county, 
Indiana, and those of Shelby county, 
Missouri. AVhile attending school and 
after completing his education he worked 
on his father's farm, remaining at home 
and assisting the family until 1876, when 
he engaged in farming and raising stock 
on his own account on seventy acres of 
land given him by his father. In the 
spring of 1910 he disposed of his old 
homestead and purchased ninety-five 
acres in the same township, where he now 



resides. He has been successful in both 
lines of his industry and is universally 
regai'ded as one of the substantial and 
progressive men in his township. For, 
while advancing his own interests and 
enlarging his iDrosperity, he has taken an 
earnest interest and an active part in 
promoting the enduring welfare of the 
locality in which he lives and contribut- 
ing to the substantial good of its people. 
He was married in February, 1876, to 
Miss Mary Jane Philliber, a resident of 
this county. They have had six children, 
four of whom are living: Nora, the wife 
of Walter Howerton, of Knox county, 
Missouri; John, who is a resident of 
Shelby county; and Lily May and Ber- 
tha, who are still living at home with 
their parents. The father is an earnest 
and ei¥ective worker for the principles 
and candidates of the Democratic party 
in his political relations, although he has 
never sought a political office of any kind 
for himself, either by election or ap- 
pointment. His religious connection is 
with the Christian church, of which he is 
an earnest, loyal and devoted member. 
A residence of forty-five years in Black 
Creek township has given him a very ex- 
tensive acquaintance with its people, and 
those living in other parts of Shelby 
county, and has also given them an inti- 
mate knowledge of his worth as a man 
and his usefulness as a citizen, in conse- 
quence of which he is well esteemed in 
all parts of the county. His wife also 
stands well in the regard and good will 
of the people, and so do the other mem- 
bers of his family, all of whom exemplify 
in their daily lives the sterling traits of 
character that distinguish their parents. 





o 

w 

C/3 



< 

h-l 

Q 
< 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



541 



HIRAM SELSOR. 
This enterprising and progressive 
farmer and live stock breeder of North 
River township, Shelbj' county, has had 
a somewhat checkered and spectacular 
career in the nearly seventy years he has 
lived since his birth, and while the inci- 
dents and events that make uj) the story 
are all interesting, they are also alto- 
gether creditable to the subject of it 
in that they show him up as a man 
of force and self-reliance under all cir- 
cumstances, and impelled by a high sense 
of duty in every case. 

Mr. Selsor was born in Shelbyville, 
Missouri, on March 21, 1841, and is a 

■ grandson of Larkin Selsor, a native of 
Virginia who moved to Missouri and lo- 
cated in Shelby county among its early 

I settlers. John W. Selsor, the son of 
Laikin and father of Hiram, was born 
in 1816 in Scott county, Virginia, where 

I he grew to the age of sixteen. He was 
of an adventurous disposition and longed 
to go abroad from his home and see 
something of the world. He therefore 
left Virginia in 1832 and came to Mis- 
souri, locating near Walkersville in 
Shelby county, and finding a home tem- 
porarily with the family of Richard Per- 
ry. From that home as a basis he went 
forth from time to time to different parts 
of the county, working on farms and as 
a carpenter in every section. Then dur- 
ing a period of about ten years he was 
engaged in the furniture trade in Shelby- 
ville. He died at Huunewell in 1881. 

The elder Mr. Selsor, father of Hiram, 
while not a great success in his business 
undertakings, was a good man and highly 
respected all over the county. In about 
1838 he was married to Miss Keturah 



Matlack, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 
the daughter of Abraham Matlack, of 
that city, a retired sea captain. Of the 
ten children born of the union three are 
living: Hiram, the subject of this article; 
Henrietta, the wife of Marion Dill, of 
this county; and Anna, the widow of the 
late Frederick Mimch, of Slielbina. In 
politics the father was first a Whig and 
afterward a Republican. The mother, 
even though a married woman, was bus- 
ily occupied in teaching school for many 
years, about twenty-five in all, although 
not continuously for that length of time. 
And it must be said in all truth to her 
credit that she was regarded as one of 
the best teachers in the county in her 
day. 

Hiram Selsor attended the district 
schools in the county and the Shelbyville 
high school until he Avas about eighteen 
years of age. He then worked on the 
home 23lace and assisted the family until 
August, 1861, when he enlisted in the 
Federal army in defense of the Union, 
first in Berry's cavalry, which was sta- 
tioned at St. Joseph, Missouri, and later 
in the Third Missouri cavalry under Col. 
John M. Glover. He was soon afterward 
commissioned as first lieutenant in Com- 
pany A, 4th Arkansas Cavalry. This 
l^osition was gained by a competitive ex- 
amination, several hundred competing, 
and his commission as lieutenant was 
sigTied by President Lincoln personally, 
and in that capacity he served until the 
close of the war, when he was mustered 
out at Little Rock. While in the 3rd 
Missouri Cavalry he took part in fifty- 
eight engagements, among them the prin- 
cipal ones being those at Bayumetre, 
Brownsville, and the capture of Little 



542 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Eock. And while in the 4th Arkansas 
Cavaliy many skirmishes made it warm 
and life active for the regiment. 

After the war Mr. Selsor returned to 
Shelby county, and on November 2, 1865, 
was united in marriage with Miss Kate 
Hesler, of Lone House, a daughter of 
Fleming and Mary (Jordon) Hesler, na- 
tives of Kentucky, but for many years 
esteemed residents of this county. He 
then located on a farm and began a ca- 
reer as a farmer and live stock breeder, 
which has continued to the present time, 
except during the ten years he passed 
in Hunnewell in the drug trade. He 
now owns and cultivates 200 acres of 
land and carries on a flourishing live 
stock business as extensive as his acre- 
age and other facilities will permit. He 
pushes both departments of his business 
with enterprise and manages them with 
good judsTuent, and they are both profit- 
able to him as well as important to the 
township and county because of the aid 
they give in expanding the production 
and commerce of this portion of the 
state. 

By his marriage with Miss Hesler Mr. 
Selsor became the father of six children, 
five of whom are living: Dr. William 
L. Selsor, of Shelbina; Catherine, the 
wife of Ray Moss, of Hunnewell ; Fred, 
who resides and is in business in Kansas 
City, Missouri; and Francis Ella and 
Beatrice, who are living at home with 
their parents. The father has always 
taken an earnest interest and an active 
part in the local public affairs of the 
township and county, and has been serv- 
iceable in promoting the welfare of both. 
Before his children grew to maturity he 
served on the school board, and in many 



other ways made his mark as a pro- 
gressive and public-spirited citizen in 
reference to the general well-being and 
substantial progress of his locality. In 
politics he is a Republican, in fraternal 
life a member of the Grand Ai-my of 
the Republic and the Ancient Order of 
United Workmen. In belief Mr. Selsor 
is an agnostic, while his wife is a mem- 
ber of the Christian church. 

JAMES H. VANSKIKE. 

A scion of old Kentucky and Maiy- 
land families, James H. Vanskike, one of 
the substantial, enterprising and pro- 
gressive farmers and stock men of 
Shell )y county, whose fine farm of 190 
acres is located in Black Creek township, 
has well exemplified in his career the 
salient and sterling traits of character 
and habits of useful industry for which 
his ancestors were distinguished, and 
which have made the i^eople of those 
two states prosjierous and progressive 
at home and well esteemed abroad, secur- 
ing for them honorable names in history 
and creditable mention in all the under- 
takings of the United States in peace and 
war. 

Mr. Vanskike was born in Knox 
county, Missouri, on January 25, 18-48, 
and is a grandson of Jesse Vanskike, a 
native of Kentucky, where Jesse's son 
William, the father of James H., also 
was born, and where his life began in 
1820. He became a resident of Missouri 
in 1835 and, after a short residence in 
Monroe county, moved to Shelby county. 
Here he remained until his marriage 
with Miss Sarah Todd, who was bom in 
Maryland, the marriage taking place in 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



543 



Shelby county. He then preempted 
eighty acres of land in Knox county not 
far from the boundary of Shelby county, 
and on this farm he passed the re- 
mainder of his life, actively and prosper- 
ously engaged in general farming and 
raising live stock until his death in 1900. 

lie and his wife were the parents of 
eight children, six of whom are living: 
John W., Charles and James H., who are 
residents of Shelby county; and Jesse, 
Thomas and George W., who live in 
Knox county. The father was a Repub- 
lican in politics and a member of the 
Baptist sect in i-eligion. He was a man 
of great energy and activity, and rose to 
considerable prominence and influence 
because of his continued and general use- 
fulness as a citizen. He took an earn- 
est interest and an active part in the af- 
fairs of the counties in which he lived, 
helping to give their progress and de- 
velopment a substantial foundation and 
good speed in advancement. 

His son, James H. Vanskike, grew to 
manhood on his father's farm and ob- 
tained his education in the Knox and 
Shelby county district schools. He took 
his part in the labors of the farm both 
while attending school and after com- 
pleting his education, remaining with his 
parents and assisting the family until 
1871. Tn that year he bought tlie farm 
on which he now lives seven miles west 
of Shelb>"ville. He has greatly improved 
it and added to its value by his industry 
and thrift and his excellent management 
of its general farming operations and 
the vigoi'ous and enterprising live stock 
business which he has long been con- 
ducting on it. 

Like his father, he has taken a very 



earnest and serviceable interest in local 
public affairs, serving as a member of 
the school board sixteen years, and in 
many other ways doing his full part in 
promoting the welfare of the township 
and county of his home and ministering 
to the increased comfort and prosperity 
and general well being of their people. 
His political faith and zealous support 
are given to the principles and candi- 
dates of the Republican party, and in 
fraternal life he is an Odd Fellow and 
in religion a member of the Missionary 
Baptist church. He was married on 
September 14, 1871, to Mrs. Nannie C. 
(Duncan) Dunn, a daughter of John S. 
and Matilda (Lyne) Duncan, of Shelby- 
ville. Two children were born of the 
union, Sallie May, who is living at home 
with her parents, and Joseph S., an 
esteemed and prosperous citizen of this 
county. All the members of the family 
stand well with the people of their lo- 
cality, who have found them worthy and 
estimable in all the relations of life. 

JAMES H. TARBET. 

James H. Tarbet, who is one of the 
best known and most highly esteemed 
citizens of Black Creek township in this 
county, where he owns and operates a 
tine farm of eighty acres, and where he 
has been for many years prominent in 
the public and official life of the town- 
ship, is not a native of ]\lissouri, but has 
lived in Shelby county from the time 
when he was but a few months old, and 
may therefore be fairly regarded as a 
Shelby county product. He obtained his 
education in its district schools, has 
mingled for many years with apprecia- 



544 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



tion in its social life, made his whole 
career as a public official in the sei'\'ice 
of its people, and has passed all the 
years of his activity to this time in ener- 
getic and successful management of two 
of its leading industries, contributing to 
their growth and development. 

Mr. Tarbet was bom on April 21, 
1867. in Rush county, Indiana, and was 
brought to Shelby county, Missouri, be- 
fore the end of the year of his birth. 
His grandfather, Eobert Tarbet, was a 
native of Kentucky, and in Fleming 
county of that state ^Ir. Tarbet 's father, 
John W. Tarbet, also came into being, 
his life having l)egun on October 16, 
1840. He moved to Indiana a young 
man, and in 1867 brought his family to 
this state and located in Shelby county. 
For some years after his arrival liere he 
farmed on land which he rented. But 
later in life bought a farm of 160 acres, 
which he cultivated with vigor and profit 
until 1900, when he moved to Haskell 
county, Texas. In connection with his 
farming he kept a general store at 
Kirby, this county, for eleven years and 
also operated a threshing outfit. When 
he decided to move to Texas he sold all 
his possessions here. He was prominent 
also in the official activities of the county, 
serving veiy acceptably as a justice of 
the peace for sixteen years and in other 
ways of value making himself useful to 
the county and its people, and acquiring 
extensive influence and popularity among 
them, as a merchant, a farmer and a pub- 
lic spirited citizen. 

He was married in 1864 to Miss Nancy 
E. Kenning, a resident of Indiana at 
the time of the marriage. They became 
the parents of fourteen children, ten of 



whom are living: James H., the sub- 
ject of this review; John ^I., Charles F., 
George and Mary (twins), and Walter, 
all of whom reside in Haskell county, 
Texas ; Jesse E., whose home is in Grant 
county, Kansas; Thomas H. and Grover 
C. (also twins), the former a resident of 
Haskell county and the latter of Denton 
county, Texas; and Josephine, whose 
home is also in Haskell county, Texas. 
In politics the father is a staunch and 
loyal Democrat, always active and ef- 
fective in the service of his party. Fra- 
ternally he is allied with the Independ- 
ent Order of Odd Fellows, and in re- 
ligious affiliation he and his wife are 
members of the Christian church. 

Their son, James H. Tarbet, grew to 
manhood on his father's fa inn, assisting 
in its labors while attending school, and 
working also on other farms in the 
neighborhood. He remained with his 
parents and gave them all the help he 
could until 1888, when he married and 
started a home of his own. During the 
next five years he rented farms, but in 
1893, through industry, frugality and 
good management, found himself able to 
buy a farm and purchased the one on 
which he is still living. This comprises 
eighty acres of first rate land, and he has 
improved it with a taste and good judg- 
ment and brought it to a high state of 
productiveness by careful and intelligent 
cultivation. He also conducts a lively 
and profitable industry in raising and 
feeding live stock for the markets. 

Mr. Tarbet has prospered in his busi- 
ness and has shown a good citizen's un- 
failing interest in the welfare and prog- 
ress of the county. He was a member 
of the school board thirteen vears and 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



545 



is now serving as its clerk. In 1899 he 
was also appointed road overseer, and is 
still giving the people of the township 
excellent service in that capacity, having 
held the office continnously from the date 
of his first appointment. In political re- 
lations he adheres firmly to the prin- 
ciples of the Democratic party and is at 
all times one of its most energetic and 
effective working members. His fra- 
ternal connections are with the Odd Fel- 
lows and the Modern Woodmen of Amer- 
ica, and he and his wife are zealous and 
deeply interested communicants in the 
Christian church, in which they are both 
earnest and appreciated workers. 

His marriage was solemnized on Jan- 
uary 10, 1889, and was with Miss Har- 
riet J. Robinson, a daughter of James 
and ^latilda (Schudy) Robinson, prom- 
inent and highly esteemed residents of 
Shelby county. Three children have 
been born of the union, and they are all 
living and still at home with their par- 
ents. They are Omer J., Velma L., and 
Esther May. 

JOHN G. VON THUN. 

John G. Von Thun is one of the highly 
successful and ]iros)ierous farmers and 
live stock men of Black Creek township, 
in this county, whither he was brought 
by his parents from the far distant land 
of his birth when he was but two years 
old. He was born on June 2, 1866, in the 
colony of Victoria, Australia. There the 
father, Nicholas Von Thun, a native of 
Germany, born in 1827, passed ten or 
twelve years of his life engaged in farm- 
ing and teaching school. In 1868 he 



moved his family to Missouri and located 
in Shelby county. Here he bought land 
and was busily occupied in general farm- 
ing until his death, in 1872. 

He was married to Miss Caroline 
Burkhardt, who was also a native of 
Germany. Thfey had six children, four 
of whom are living: Henry, a sketch of 
whom will be found in this work; and 
Harman, John G. and Paul, all four resi- 
dents of this county. The parents be- 
longed to the Lutheran church and were 
among the original settlers in the Ger- 
man Lutheran community in this county, 
to whom is much indebted the industry, 
thrift, progressiveness and general good 
citizenship of the colony, for there were 
excellent men and women, giving faith- 
ful attention to every duty in public and 
])rivate life, and both through their la- 
bors and the force of their example they 
gave the portion of the county in which 
they lived substantial prosperity and 
good speed on the road to high develop- 
ment. 

John G. Von Thun, as has been noted, 
was an infant but two years old when his 
parents moved to the United States and 
located in Shelby county. He has passed 
all his subsequent years here, and while 
he has prospered himself in a worldly 
way, he has also been an important fac- 
tor in promoting the general welfare and 
steady improvement of his township and 
county. He has always been energetic 
and enterprising with reference to all 
])ul)li(' interests and has given everybody 
around him the stimulus of his own zeal 
and activity and the force of an excellent 
example for the good of the locality in 
which ho has so long lived and so effec- 



546 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



tively labored for himself and all worthy 
undertakings involving the good of his 
community. 

Mr. Von Thun obtained his education 
in the district schools of this county and 
at an early age began working on neigh- 
borhood farms, and when he grew older 
rented land for himself and did consider- 
able cropping. He kejjt this up until 
1891, when he bought the land on which 
he now lives, and which has been his 
home and the seat of his enterprise ever 
since. He has carried on vigorous farm- 
ing operations in a general way, with 
skill and enterprise, and he has also con- 
ducted a very active and extensive live 
stock industry. His farm is a fine one, 
well improved and highly productive, 
and he makes every hour of his work 
on its tell to his advantage. 

His religious affiliation is with the 
Lutheran church. 

On January 15, 1891, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Augusta Doss, a 
daughter of John and Henrietta (Trea- 
fald) Doss, first settlers in the German 
Lutheran community, coming here in 
1865, and have since been worthy and ap- 
preciated residents of Shelby county. 
One child has been born of the union, a 
son named Albert, who is living at home . 
with his parents. He is a young man of 
promise, zealous in the performance of 
his duties and a credit to the family, 
standing well in the community and gen- 
erally esteemed, as his parents also are, 
and as they all deserve to stand and be 
esteemed. 

HARRY H. PRANGE. 

One of the most successful and pro- 
gressive farmers and stock men of Black 



Creek township, in this county, and one 
of the most energetic and public spirited 
of its citizens with reference to public 
improvements and the general progress 
and development of the township, Harry 
H. Prange is justly esteemed an excel- 
lent man to have as a resident of any 
wide-awake and enterprising community 
and as worthy of the regard and admira- 
tion of all persons who value his charac- 
ter of citizenship, which has been found 
very useful and based on proper ideals 
of manhood and duty to the region in 
which he lives. 

Mr. Prange is a native of Lancaster, 
Pennsylvania, where he was born on Sep- 
tember 11, 1863. He is a son of John and 
Catherine (HjTiian) Prange, the former 
born in Germany in 183-t, and the latter 
a native of Pennsylvania. The father 
came to the United States early in the 
60 's and located in Pennsylvania for a 
few years, then in 1866 moved his family 
to Missouri and found a new home in the 
German Lutheran colony in Shelby coun- 
ty. He was one of the first settlers in 
that colony and at once showed the 
sturdy and sterling traits of character 
and habits of industry and frugality 
which distinguished its residents and 
gave such an impetus to the development 
and improvement of the portion of the 
county in which the colony was located. 
He bought land there and followed farm- 
ing and raising and feeding live stock 
for the markets with great vigor, skill 
and good management. He was success- 
ful in his business, and at the time of his 
death, which occurred on February 19, 
1909, was a well-to-do man of consider- 
able valuable property and excellent 
standing in his township. His marriage to 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



547 



Miss Catherine Hyman took place in 1859, 
and by it he became the father of six 
children, all of whom are living, and all 
residents of Shelby county but one. They 
are: Harry, the subject of this brief 
memoir; Margaret, the wife of Jacob 
Gable ; Isabelle, the wife of Justice Ech- 
ternacht; Christ, a prosperous Shelby 
county farmer ; Anna, the wife of Simon 
Gingrich; and Mary, the wife of Frank 
Wilt, who lives in Monroe county, Mis- 
souri. The father was a Republican in 
his political adherence and a member of 
the Dunkard, or German Baptist church, 
in his religious affiliation. The wife and 
mother departed from this life January 
20, 1911. 

Harry H. Prauge obtained a common 
school education at Hager's Grove, in 
this county, where the family located on 
its arrival in this part of the country. 
After leaving school he remained with 
his parents, working on the farm and as- 
sisting the family until 1900, when he 
bought a tract of land in tlie neighbor- 
hood of Kirby, on which lie has been 
fanning and raising live stock with suc- 
cess and increasing prosperity ever 
since, although he had practically noth- 
ing to start with. His farm comprises 
160 acres of superior land, and he has 
cultivated it all in a manner in keeping 
with its high quality and great produc- 
tiveness. 

Mr. Prange was married on March 6, 
1890, to ;Miss Minnie Doss, a daughter of 
John and Henrietta (Trefall) Doss, who 
have long been residents of Shelby coun- 
ty and enjoyed the respect of all its peo- 
ple. He did not, however, go at once to 
a farm of his own, but continued to live 
and work on the homestead of his pa- 



rents ten years longer. The four chil- 
dren born of the union are all living and 
still have their home with their parents. 
They are Etta, Nannie, Ernest and Carl. 
The father trains with and supports the 
Republican party in political affairs, and 
has his religious affiliation with the 
Lutheran church, to which also the other 
members of the family belong and in 
which they all take an active and service- 
able interest, as they do in all other com- 
mendable agencies for good, at work 
around them. 

WILLIAM T. GIBSON. 

Born and reared to manhood in Vir- 
ginia, and descended from families long 
resident in that state, William T. Gib- 
son, one of the most prosperous and 
progressive fanners and live stock men 
in Black Creek township, Shelby county, 
this state, had from his childhood ex- 
amples and traditions of high emprise 
to stimulate him to vigorous exertion and 
elevated manhood, and he has been true 
to them, taking his fate into his own 
hands at the age of twenty-two and 
seeking the advancement in life he had 
determined to secure by coming to a 
region far distant from the home of his 
birth and outside the pale of family in- 
fluence or the generosity of friends to 
help him along. 

In his new home he has kept in serv- 
iceable action through daily diligence 
the forces of inspiration within him, and 
has achieved a very substantial success 
in life to this time (1911). He has also 
adhered to the lessons of good citizen- 
ship which he learned in his boyhood and 
youth, and through the steady practice 



548 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



of the principles of manhood involved in 
them has risen to consequence and influ- 
ence among the people, being regarded 
not only as one of the most enterprising 
and intelligent farmers in their midst, 
but also as one of the best citizens of his 
township. 

Mr. Gibson was bom on January 30, 
1863, in Montgomeiy county, Virginia, 
and is a son of John and Olive (How- 
rey) Gibson, the former born in the same 
county as his son and the latter in Floyd 
county in the same state, these being 
adjoining counties. His grandfather, 
also named John Gibson, was a native of 
Virginia, too, and passed the whole of 
his life in that state. The father was a 
general farmer and also a preacher of 
the gospel. He came to Missouri and 
resided in Shelby county until his death. 
In politics he was a Republican and his 
religious affiliation was with the Chris- 
tian church. His marriage with Miss 
Olive Howrey took place in Virginia, and 
by it he became the father of nine chil- 
dren, seven of whom are living: Alice, 
the wife of Joseph Hall, of Virginia ; 
William T., to whom these paragraphs 
are specially devoted; John, who is a 
resident of Shelby county; Anna, the 
wife of Grant Winter, of Virginia; 
James, who also lives in that state; 
L>Tin, who is a resident of Nebraska; 
Ernest, whose home is in this county; 
and ^lary, the wife of "William Haffner, 
also a resident of Shelby county. 

William T. Gibson obtained his educa- 
tion in the country schools of his native 
county. In 1885, when he was twenty- 
two years old, he came to iSIissouri and 
took up his residence in Shelby county. 
During the first three years of his resi- 



dence in this count.v he worked as a hired 
man on farms, and in 1888 and 1889, just 
after his marriage, he lived on a farm he 
rented. In the year last mentioned he 
bought 140 acres of land and settled 
down on it with a view to improving it 
and making the most he could out of its 
cultivation and the live stock industry he 
started in connection with that. He has 
been very successful in his undertakings, 
and now owns and cultivates with vigor, 
enterprise and intelligence 540 acres, his 
farm being one of the best in Black Creek 
township. He has worked hard and at- 
tributes his success to his energy, con- 
tinued industry and careful attention to 
every feature, jjliase and detail of his 
work. 

^Ir. Gibson was married on January 
21. 1888, to Miss Lydia M. Boyles, a 
daughter of Archibald Boyles, a resi- 
dent of this county. Of the five children 
born of the union three are living, 
Ernest, Florence and Floyd, and all are 
still members of the parental family 
circle. The father is a Prohibitionist in 
politics and a member of the Christian 
church in his religious affiliation. 

JACOB H. MERRIN. 

This venerable and honored citizen of 
the city of Clarence, where he has main- 
tained his home for more than forty 
years, and where he was president of the 
Clarence Savings Bank, has been closely 
identified with the civic and industrial 
ui)building of this section of the state 
and is one of the substantial capitalists 
and representative men of Shelby county, 
where he has ever commanded unquali- 
fied popular confidence and regard. 




JACOB H. MERRIN 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



549 



Mr. Merrin is oue of the. valued citi- 
zens contributed to ISiielby county by tiie 
line old Buckeye state, as lie was born 
in Monroe county, Uliio, on tlie 1st of 
August, 1827, being a son of John and 
tSallie (Beers) Merrin, the former of 
wlioin was born in the state of Mew Jer- 
sey, in 17yy, and the latter of whom was 
a native of Uhio, in which state their 
marriage was solemnized. John Merrin 
was one of the sterling pioneers of Ohio, 
and his vocation throughout his entire 
active career was that of farming. He 
passed the closing years of his life in 
Knox county, Ohio, where he died in 
1849, and his wife survived him by a 
number of years, both having been zeal- 
ous members of the Presbyterian church 
and his political support having been 
given to the Democratic party. Of the 
nine children of this union the subject 
of this review is the eldest of the four 
now living; John N. is a resident of Tay- 
lorville, Illinois ; Lodema is a resident of 
the state of Washington; and Mary Eliz- 
abeth is the wife of John O. Trimmer, 
of Moimd City, Missouri. 

J acob H. Merrin, whose name initiates 
this article, was reared to the sturdy dis- 
cipline of the pioneer farm and his early 
educational advantages were those af- 
forded in the primitive common schools 
of Knox county, Ohio, where he was 
reared to manhood and where he had 
his full (juota of experience in the re- 
claiming of land in the virgin forest and 
where he continued to be associated with 
his father in the work and management 
of the home farm until he had attained to 
his legal majority, when he initiated his 
independent career in connection with 
the same basic industry, which has ever 



constituted the bulwark of our national 
prosperity. He became the owner of a 
large tract of land in Knox county, Ohio, 
and reclaimed and developed a consider- 
able ijortion of the same. He finally 
traded about 350 acres of his land for a 
stock of general merchandise, and for 
the ensuing two years he conducted a 
store at Fredericktown, Knox county. In 
1865 Mr. Merrin traded his stock of mer- 
chandise for 320 acres of land in Mon- 
roe county, Missouri, where he devoted 
his attention to farming and stock-grow- 
ing until 1876, when he removed to Shel- 
by county and took up his residence in 
the village of Clarence, where he has 
maintained his home during the long 
intervening years. He became exten- 
sively engaged in farming and in the 
raising and buying of cattle, building up 
a large and prosperous business as a 
shipper of live stock, and with these lines 
of industry he continued to be actively 
identified until 1899, since which time he 
has lived virtually retired, having an 
attractive residence in Clarence, where 
he is also the owner of other valuable 
property, besides which he retains in 
his possession 420 acres of excellent 
farming land, the most of which is lo- 
cated in Clay township, this county. He 
was president of the Clarence Savings 
Bank from 1905 to 1911 and gave to the 
same a personal sui)ervisiou, having 
1)een a potent factor in directing its af- 
fairs in such a way as to make the insti- 
tution one of the solid and prosperous 
banks of the county. JMi-. Merrin has 
always stood representative of loyal and 
public-spirited citizenship and has done 
much to aid in the social and matei'ial 
development of his comnnmity. In pol- 



550 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



itics, though never a seeker of the hon- 
ors or emoluments of public office, he has 
ever been arrayed as a staunch advo- 
cate of the principles and policies for 
which the Democratic party stands spon- 
sor, and both he and his wife are active 
and valued members of the Presbyterian 
and Baptist churches. 

Mr. Merrin has been twice married. 
In January, 1852, he wedded Miss Han- 
nah Loree, of Knox county, Ohio, who 
died in 1893, and of their three children 
two are living, Ellen, who is the wife 
of William Wilt, of Clarence, and Effie 
D., who is the wife of James Woods, of 
Monroe county, this state. In 1897, De- 
cember 19, Mr. ^lerrin was united in 
marriage to Mrs. ]\Iattie Stowe, of Ma- 
con county, who now presides over their 
pleasant home. Mrs. Merrin's maiden 
name was Mattie Randolph, a native of 
Kentucky. She came with her parents 
to Missouri when fifteen years of age. 
She has one son bv her former marriage, 
Monroe Stowe, of Macon county. 

THEODORE W. FEELY. 

Enterprising, progressive and suc- 
cessful as a farmer and live stock man, 
prominent and sen'iceable in the official 
life and public affairs of the locality in 
which he lives, and standing high in the 
regard of the whole people of Shelby 
and Monroe counties, among whom he 
has passed all the years of his life to 
this time (1910), Theodore W. Feely, of 
Black Creek township, is justly entitled 
to the rank he holds in public esteem as 
a farmer and a citizen, and his excellent 
reputation as a man of great public 
spii'it and strong devotion to the best 



interests of his township, county and 
state. 

Mr. Feely was bom in Shelby county, 
Missouri, on November 11, 1862. He is 
a grandson of Le Grand Feely, a native 
of Virgiina, and a son of James Le 
Grand and Mattie E. (Morrison) Feely, 
the former born in Shenandoah county, 
Virginia, on March 6, 1835, and the lat- 
ter a native of Tazewell county, IlUnois. 
The father came to Missouri in 1856 and 
located at Shelbyville, where he worked 
at the carpenter trade for ten years. In 
1866 he moved to the adjoining coimty of 
Monroe, and there was busily occupied in 
general farming and raising live stock 
until 1873. In that year he returned to 
this county and bought 127 acres of wild 
prairie land, on which he passed the re- 
mainder of his days, improving his un- 
tamed estate and making it over into an 
excellent and valuable farm. 

His marriage with Miss flattie E. 
Morrison took place in 1858, and they 
became the parents of nine children, all 
of whom but the fifth in order of birth, a 
daughter named Carrie Belle, are liv^- 
ing. The eight who are living are : John 
A. and William M., residents of Hotch- 
kiss, Colorado; Theodore W., whose life 
story is the special theme of this writ- 
ing; James McKendree, whose home is in 
Shelbyville; Virginia Edna, the wife of 
Rev. W. D. Neale of Rocky Ford. Colo- 
rado; Charles R., an esteemed resident 
of this county; Stella, the wife Okf E. M. 
O'Bryen, of Shelbyville; and Silas Mar- 
vin, wlio is also a resident of Shelby 
county. The father was i)ublic adminis- 
trator of Shelby county for a continuous 
period of twelve years. In political faith 
and activitv he was a member of the 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



551 



Democratic party and prominent in the 
councils of and among the zealous work- 
ers for that organization. In fraternal 
life he was for many years a Freemason 
and in church relations a Southern 
Methodist. His death occurred on Jan- 
uary 7, 1898, and that of the mother on 
February 11, 1907. 

Their son, Theodore W., obtained his 
education in the countrj- schools in Mon- 
. roe and Shelby counties and a graded 
i public school in Shelbwille. After com- 
pleting his education, and while acquir- 
»ing it, he assisted in the work on his 
father's farm, remaining with his par- 
ents and aiding the family all he could 
until 1886. He was married in that year, 
on September 15, to Miss Jennie M. 
Garrison, a daughter of J. W. and Mary 
(Francis) Garrison, natives of Vir- 
ginia, but long residents of Shelby 
county, Missouri. Mr. Feely then bought 
an eighty-acre farm and on this he has 
ever since cai'ried on a flourishing busi- 
ness in general farming and raising and 
feeding live stock, in both of which he 
has been very successful and prosper- 
ous. He now owns 418 acres of tine and 
fertile land, and in his stock industiy 
gives his attention almost exclusively to 
breeding and dealing in Hereford cattle. 
In i^olitics he is a Democrat and as 
such has been a member of the school 
board continuously for twelve years. He 
is also a charter member of the Shelby 
County Railroad Company. He and his 
wife are members of the Methodist 
Church, South. They have had five chil- 
dren, all of whom are living: William 
L., who is a rising man in this county; 
Velma, the wife of R. D. Hatcher, also a 



resident of Shelby county; and Shelby, 
McKendree and Virginia, who are living 
at home with their parents. 

SILAS MARVIN FEELY. 

Having built up a prosperous farming 
and live stock industry from practically 
nothing to start with, and aecom]jlished 
it all within the last ten years, and hav- 
ing also risen to a position of good 
standing and general esteem throughout 
the township and county of his home, 
Silas Marvin Feely, of Black Creek town- 
ship, has demonstrated that he is made 
of the material that commands success, 
and has elevated ideals of citizenship in 
private life and with reference to all pub- 
lic affairs. 

Mr. Feely is a native of Shelby county, 
born on August 10, 1879. He is a son of 
James Le Grand and Mattie E. (Morri- 
son) Feely, an account of whose lives will 
be found in a sketch of their older son, 
Theodore W. Feely, elsewhere in this 
volume. Like his brother Theodore, Si- 
las Marvin Feely obtained his education 
in the country schools near his father's 
farm and a graded public school in Shel- 
byville. He remained at home with his 
parents until 1901, aiding in doing the 
work on the homestead and giving the 
family all the assistance he could. In 
the year last named he rented a farm to 
go into business for himself as a farmer 
and live stock operator, and this farm 
he bought in 1903. It comprises 124 
acres, is well improved and skillfully 
cultivated and has become one of the 
most desirable of its size in the township 
in which it is located. Both the general 



552 



HISTORY OF SHP:LBY COUNTY 



farming and the stock industry con- 
ducted by Mr. Feely are managed with 
wisdom and pushed with highly com- 
mendable enterprise and both are profit- 
able. 

Mr. Feely was married on December 
25. 1901, to Miss Addie Marie Turner, a 
daughter of AVilliam R. and Mary 
(Doyle) Turner, esteemed residents of 
Shelby county. Three daughters have 
resulted from the union, Gertrude Marie, 
Mildred Elaine and Dortliy Lois, all of 
whom are living. In politics the father 
is a pronounced Democrat, with an abid- 
ing and helpful interest in the affairs of 
his party and steady activity in its be- 
half. His fraternal conection is with the 
Modern Woodmen of America, and he 
and his wife are consistent members of 
the Southern Methodist church, devoted 
to its welfare and energetic in helping 
to promote it, and the good of the com- 
munity in general. 

Mr. Feely is a young man yet, and the 
success and standing in life which he has 
already won are greatly to his credit. 
But his enterprise, correct and extensive 
knowledge of the work in which he is en- 
gaged, his devotion to its vigorous pros- 
ecution to the highest and best results, 
and his intelligent attention to its every 
requirement, give assurance that his as- 
cent to higher altitudes and greater pros- 
perity in connection with it will be steady 
and increase in speed. His uprightness 
and progressiveness as a citizen, which 
have secured for him the esteem of all 
who know him, also indicate that he is 
destined to more extensive popularity 
and stronger influence in ilic community 
of whicli he is so valued a member. 



CHARLES R. FEELY. 

This enterprising and progressive 
farmer and live stock dealer of Black 
Creek townshij^, in this county, who now 
lives on the family homestead and in the 
house in which he \vas born, is a brother 
of Theodore AV. and Silas M. Feely, of 
the same township, sketches of whom 
will be found in this work. In that of the 
former the family history is told at some 
length, the leading events in the lives of 
the parents being set forth somewhat in 
detail. The story of their lives and those 
of the lives of their sons, as they appear 
herein, show that the fiber of the family 
is firm, that its members have grappled 
with adverse conditions and become mas- 
ters of them and that attention to the du- 
ties of elevated citizenship has been one 
of their prominent characteristics, and 
continues in the sons as it was exempli- 
fied by the parents, with advantage to 
themselves and decided benefits to the 
community in which all have had their 
homes. 

Charles R. Feely was born on August 
7, 1874, in Shelby county, Missouri. He 
obtained his education in the district 
schools, and worked on the parental 
acres while attending and after leaving 
those valued institutions for mental 
training and the inculcation of sterling 
qualities of manhood and womanhood. 
He remained with his parents until 1900, 
then bought an eighty-acre farm, which 
he has increased to 255 acres. He has 
the whole tract under skillful and ad- 
vanced cultivation and reaps an abun- 
dant harvest of profits from his outlay 
(if onterjirise and labor. His specialties 
in tlie live stock line of his business are 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



553 



Shorthorn cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs, 
of which he handles large numbers and 
with them keeps the markets in which he 
deals active and well supplied. Through 
his activity in this respect he has also 
helped considerablj^ to improve the 
grades of stock he favors throughout 
Shelby county and the adjoining counties 
of the state, and has thereby been of 
great benefit to this whole region. 

Mr. Feely was married on February 
11, 1903, to Miss Lizzie Christian, of 
AVarren, Missouri. They had one child, 
their son, Donovan Eead, who is being 
indoctrinated in the tenets and principles 
of business so successfully pursued by 
bis parents, and who, although very 
young yet, is showing himself to be an 
apt and responsive student. In political 
faith and allegiance the father is a firm 
and faithful member of the Democratic 
party, and gives its principles and can- 
didates his earnest support in all cam- 
paigns. In fraternal relations he be- 
longs to the Modern Woodmen of Amer- 
ica, and his religious connection is with 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. 
His wife is a member of the Missionary 
Bai^tist church. Mrs. Feely died De- 
cember 29, 1903. Mr. Feely again mar- 
ried, November 10, 1909, to Lu Verne 
Hallenbeck, of this county, a daughter 
of Silvesta Hallenbeck. 

Like his younger brother, Silas AI. 
Feely, Charles E. is yet a young man, 
and his success has been won within a 
few years. It also gives great promise 
for the future, both with reference to his 
own esate and the general improvement 
and advance of the townshi]i and county 
of his home, in which he takes a very ac- 
tive interest and in promoting their wel- 



fare bears a zealous, helpful and impor- 
tant part of the work. He and his wife 
are among the most useful and esteemed 
residents of Black Creek township. 

EDWARD M. COE. 

The grandson of a Virginia planter 
who came to the United States from 
Enghmd and settled in the Old Domin- 
ion soon after our Revolutionary war, 
whose name also was Edward, and the 
son of David J. and Elizabeth (Skin- 
ner) Coe, who were born and reared in 
London county of that state, Edward M. 
Coe, one of the prominent farmers and 
stock breeders of Black Creek township 
in this county, inherited from his an- 
cestors, and acquired in association with 
the people of his native place, qualities 
of sturdy independence and sterling 
manhood which gave him self-reliance 
and have been among the leading ele- 
ments of the business success he has 
achieved. He also inherited from his 
progenitors a spirit of valor and mili- 
tary prowess which made the l)attlefield 
seem to them and him a place of sanctity 
when duty called them to it. His grand- 
father and all the sons of his household 
took part in the war of 1812, and rend- 
ered their country valiant service in that 
short but sanguinary conflict. And when 
our Civil war began, the second Edwai'd 
and representative of the third genei-a- 
tion of patriots in this country, promptly 
took his place in the ranks of one of the 
contending armies as a private soldier, 
and offered his life bravely in defense of 
his convictions. 

Mr. Coe was born in Lcmdon county, 
Virginia, on July 1, 1821, and grew to 



554 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



manhood and obtained bis education 
tbere. He came to ^Missouri in 1843, ar- 
riving on February 4 of that year. He 
bad been well trained in a variety of 
pursuits, as after returning from tbe 
war of 1812, his father engaged in fann- 
ing, milling and raising live stock, and 
as he was successful in all these lines of 
business, and carried on extensively in 
each, bis offspring had tbe benefit of his 
acumen and capacity which aided him in 
acquiring knowledge of them and skill 
and enterprise in conducting them. Tbe 
father's marriage with Miss Elizabeth 
C. Skinner occurred on July 1, 1820, and 
resulted in tbe production of three chil- 
dren, of whom Edward M. is tbe only 
one now living. In politics the father 
was a Whig and in fraternal life a mem- 
ber of the Masonic order. 

On his arrival in this state Edward M. 
Coe first located in Knox county, but 
soon afterward moved to Marion county, 
where he remained four years. In 1847 
he changed bis residence to Lewis 
county, and in bis new location built a 
mill, which he operated three years. A 
desire to see tbe farther West had seized 
hold of him by tbe end of that period, 
and in 1850 he made a trip to Oregon, 
which was just then pleading earnestly 
for settlers to take possession of and en- 
joy the gi-eat bounty and rich opportuni- 
ties that lay for all comers in tbe ex- 
panding lap of that region. Three years 
on tbe Pacific slope satisfied him and at 
the end of that period be returned to 
Missouri and again took up bis residence 
in Knox county. He I'emained there 
until 1895, then moved to Shelbj' county, 
and here be has been fanning and rais- 
ing considerable (piantities of live stock 



ever since. He has bred, reared and 
placed on tbe market some of tbe best 
horses ever known in this count}-. 

Mr. Coe's farm comprises 321 acres 
of choice land and is located near Sbel- 
byville. It is one of the best in the 
county, and is jiarticularly well adapted 
to bis live stock industry and adequately 
equipped and fitted up for conducting the 
business in the most progressive and 
satisfactory manner. The farm is the 
attractive and valuable home of his 
family, which consists of bis wife and 
six living children — Edward and Ma- 
rion, who ai*e still living with their 
parents; Andrew N., who resides in At- 
lanta, ^lissouri; Frances R., tbe vrife of 
Samuel Mason, whose home is in Knox 
county, this state; Ella, the wife of N. 
S. Taylor, who is also a resident of 
Knox county; and Lydia, the wife of 
William Collins, of Shelby county. 

It is not to be overlooked, or passed 
with a mere mention, that ^Ir. Coe took 
part in tbe Civil war in this county. At 
tbe very beginning of the conflict he en- 
listed as a private soldier in tbe Confed- 
erate army, in Colonel Franklin's regi- 
ment under Colonel Porter. Whatever 
tbe length of bis term of sen'ice, it is 
certain that be bore himself bravely in 
all the privations, bardsbii)s and dan- 
gers of military life and admirably sus- 
tained tbe reputation of bis forefathers. 
His company was commanded by Captain 
Kendrick, and tbe regiment by Colonels 
Porter and Franklin. He was united in 
marriage with Miss ^[artba V. Nelson, 
a native of Knox county, on May 24, 
1864. Eight children in all were bom to 
them. In politics Mr. Coe is an Inde- 
pendent, considering first, in every cam- 



HISTOEY OP SHELBY COUNTY 



555 



paigB, the best interests of the public, 
and casting his vote in accordance with 
his judgment on that ground. In fra- 
ternal life he is a member of the Ma- 
sonic order, and in religion his allegiance 
is given to the Missionary Baptist 
church. He has been very successful in 
his business, has shown himself to be an 
excellent citizen in every respect, and 
has won the lasting regard and confi- 
dence of the whole people in the north- 
eastern part of this state and wherever 
else he has lived. 

KIM BETHARDS. 

All of the fifty-five years that have 
passed to this time (1910) in the life of 
Kim Bethards, one of the substantial, 
prosperous and progressive farmers and 
live stock breeders of Black Ci'eek town- 
ship, have been spent in Shelby county, 
and all of the number since he was first 
able to work have been devoted to the 
promotion of the two leading industries 
of the county in which he is now engaged. 
He was born in the county on November 
8, 1844, and has never lived in any other 
county than Shelby, and never far from 
the locality of his present faiTU of 193 
acres near Shelbyville. 

Mr. Bethards is of Maryland ancestry, 
his grandfather and his parents, Joshua 
and Matilda (Moore) Bethards, all hav- 
ing been bom and reared in that state. 
The father came to Missouri in 1835 and 
located on a farm of 160 acres neaij 
Shelbyville, and there he farmed and 
raised and fed live stock for the markets, 
steadily enlarging his possessions in 
land and extending his stock industry as 
his prosperity increased, until at the 



time of his death he owned 900 acres and 
carried on one of the most active and 
considerable trades in stock in that part 
of the county. 

He and his wife were the parents of 
thirteen children, four of whom are liv- 
ing : Adeline, the wife of Robert Doug- 
las, of Shelbyville ; Isaac, who resides in 
Henderson county, Illinois; and Zedoc 
and Kim, both of whom are residents of 
this county. The father was a pro- 
nounced and active Democrat in political 
faith and allegiance, and a man of great 
enterprise and zeal in behalf of all com- 
mendable projects for the improvement 
and development of his township and 
county. He found them almost at the 
dawn of their corporate existence and 
not far removed from the frontier stage 
of their history. He left them well ad- 
vanced in material progress, dotted with 
the homes of an enterprising and sturdy 
people, determined to make the most of 
the opportunities for advancement their 
fertile acres afforded, and with all the 
elements of mental, moral and spiritual 
life well established. And to this result 
he and his wife contributed extensively 
and substantially. He died on March 5, 
1875, and she on May 11 in the same 
year. 

Their son Kim, the interesting sub- 
ject of this brief sketch, obtained his 
education in Shelbyville, and after leav- 
ing school at once began farming on 200 
acres of land near that town. From that 
farm he moved in 1878 to the one of 193 
acres which he now owns and occupies. 
From the first planting of his plowshare 
in the responsive soil of this county he 
has been continuously and profitably en- 
gaged in general farming and raising 



556 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



and feeding live stock. He lias been 
very successful in both lines of activity, 
and his success is due to his energy, ca- 
pacity and general good management. 
He has been a student of his business in 
all its details, and has applied the re- 
sults of his reading, reflection and prac- 
tical observation with skill and judg- 
ment, expanding his intelligence and 
broadening his views as the years have 
rolled away in their course. He is now 
considered one of the best and most prac- 
tical farmers and stock men in his town- 
ship. 

On December 23, 1873, Mr. Bethards 
was united in marriage with ]\Iiss Ann 
Eliza Jordan, who was born in Michi- 
gan. They have had nine children, eight 
of whom are living: Minnie, Frank, 
Omer, Louis and Elva, all of whom are 
still at home with their parents; Albert, 
the third in the order of birth, who is a 
resident of South Dakota, and Eoy and 
Bay, whose homes are also in South Da- 
kota. In political affairs the father fol- 
lows the fortunes of the Democratic 
party and is active and serviceable in his 
support of its principles and candidates, 
although he is not desirous of any of its 
honors or emoluments for himself. Mrs. 
Bethards is a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal church, South. 

ELIAS A. McBEIDE. 

The fine old state of Virginia has made 
her name glorious in history by her pro- 
duction of many of the most distinguished 
men this country has known, and also by 
rearing on her historic soil a whole race 
of chivalric and high-minded men and 
graceful, cultivated and elegant women. 



From her prolific and teeming popula- 
tion and liberal institutions have gone 
forth in addition hosts of sturdy and 
self-reliant emigrants to other states, 
which they have helj^ed to build up and 
develop in every element and feature 
of industrial, commercial and civil 
power. 

In this last class belongs Elias A. Mc- 
Bride, one of the sterling yeomanry of 
this county, and the family from which 
he sprang, whose activities in this sec- 
tion of the state form part of the pro- 
ductive force which has been at work in 
developing its resources during the last 
three generations. He was born on Oc- 
tober 13, 1850, in that portion of A'irginia 
which was torn from the mother state by 
the stern arbitrament of the Civil war. 
There also was the place of nativity of 
his grandfather, Stephen McBride, and 
his parents, James J. and Ellen (Horn) 
McBride. He came to Missouri with his 
parents in 1858, and the family located 
in Sheridan county, where the father was 
actively engaged in general farming and 
raising live stock until the beginning 
of the Civil war. "When that memorable 
conflict between the sections of our torn 
and distracted country began he went 
into the Confederate army as a drill mas- 
ter. But before he served any great 
length of time he was captured by the 
opposing forces, and from then until his 
death, which occurred in 1863, he lan- 
guished in a Federal military prison in 
St. Louis, and there he died. The 
mother was spared the sadness of know- 
ing his fate, for she died in 18G0, more 
than a year before his military service 
began. 

They were the parents of six children, 



> 

o 

w 

r 

I— * 

> 



o 

I— I 

o 





[' 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



557 



two of whom are living: Lucretia, tlie 
widow of the late Jesse Smith, of Han- 
nibal, Missouri, and Elias A. The latter 
was thus orphaned by the death of his 
mother when he was ten years old and 
doubly orjihaned by that of his father 
when he was thirteen. Yet, in spite of 
the malignity of fate that thus bereaved 
him, he was able to secure a good educa- 
tion in the. disti'ict schools of Shelby 
county and the high school in Shelby- 
ville. But he was obliged to make his 
own way in the world from an early 
age, and he began his progress up the 
steep incline toward prosperity by work- 
ing out as a hired hand on farms in the 
state of Illinois, which he did for a pe- 
riod of eighteen months. 

Mr. McBride was industrious and fru- 
gal, and used every opportunity avail- 
able to him to advance his fortunes, and 
at the end of the period named, he re- 
turned to Shelby county, Missouri, and 
took up his residence on a farm of 120 
acres near Shelbyville. He now lives 
on one of 240 acres in the same locality. 
He has farmed his land vigorously and 
skillfully and has made it highly pro- 
ductive. And his success in developing 
it and enlarging his own prosperity, 
while the progress was slow and painful 
at first, has been continuous and con- 
siderable. He has also taken an earnest 
interest and an active part in helping 
to build up and improve his towmship 
and county, and is regarded as one of 
their most worthy and estimable citizens. 
In politics he is a Republican, in frater- 
nal life an Odd Fellow, and in religion 
a member of Missionary Bajjtist cluucli. 
On October 4, 1874, he was married to 
Miss Agnes Forman, a native of this 



county. They have had four children, 
three of whom are living: Ernest H. 
and Everett T., prosperous citizens of 
Shelby county, and Emmet C, who is 
still living at home with his parents. 
Ely E. died on August 23, 1909, aged 
twelve years. Mrs. McBride died Octo- 
ber 31, 1906. No persons in the county 
stand higher in public esteem than the 
members of this excellent family. 

ROBEET EDGAR TAYLOR. 

The son of an extensive live stock 
breeder and shipper, and who was also 
extensively engaged in farming, and 
himself occupied from the dawn of his 
manhood in the same lines of activity, 
with steadily increasing success, Robert 
Edgar Taylor, of Black Creek township, 
has contributed materially and effec- 
tively, in himself and through his par- 
ents, to the growth and development of 
Shelby county and its consequence, in- 
fluence and power in the productive and 
commercial life of the state. The part 
his parents took in this commendable 
work is, however, by no means to be 
considered onh' on his account, nor is 
his part to be regarded only in connec- 
tion with theirs. For each is worthy in 
itself of honorable mention, without ref- 
erence to the other, as each has l)een 
considerable in magnitude and ini])or- 
tance. 

Mr. Tayloi' was born in this county 
on July 11, 18fi8, and is a son of Rob- 
ert James and Louisa (Prye) Taylor, 
natives of \'irginia, where their fore- 
fathers lived for generations. The 
father came to Missouri in 1849 and set- 
tled on a farm of 280 acres near Shelbv- 



558 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ville. He carried on an active and ex- 
tensive business as a general farmer, 
and also conducted one of equal magni- 
tude in raising and shipping live stock 
for the Eastern markets. He was very 
successful in all his undertakings, de- 
voting to them his whole attention and 
applying to them all his energy and in- 
telligence, except what was given in be- 
half of the general interests of his 
township and county. He was so zeal- 
ous in his industry and the management 
of his operations that he never laid aside 
his instruments of progress or abated 
his earnestness in the use of them until 
death ended his labors on January 26, 
1909. 

His union in marriage with Miss Frye 
took place in about 1850, and by it he 
became the father of eight children, 
three of whom are living: Maggie, the 
wife of I. N. Looney, of St. Louis, Mis- 
souri; Lula, the wife of Charles Ennis, 
of Shelbwille; and Robert E., the sub- 
ject of this brief review. The father 
was an active and zealous Democrat in 
his political relations, a member of the 
Masonic order in fraternal life, and gave 
his religious allegiance to the Southern 
Methodist church. 

Robert Edgar Taylor, like most of his 
boyhood associates, ol)tained his educa- 
tion in the public schools of Shelbyville.' 
And, like the greater number of them 
also, began a career as a farmer and 
stock breeder as soon as he left school. 
The beginning of this career was on his 
father's farm and tuider the direction 
of that enterprising and progressive 
man, and the son continued this rela- 
tion until 1899, when he bought the farm 
and began operations for himself on it. 



All its industries and interests were thus 
transferred f x'om father to son, although 
the former remained in his position as 
adviser of the latter to the end of his 
life. The business has gone on in the 
same steady strides of advancement and 
enlargement ever since the son took hold 
of it, and he has shown that his early 
ti-aining under the eye of a master in it 
was not lost upon him. He has kept up 
the general farming and also the live 
stock industry to their full capacity, and 
has also kept i^ace with the march of 
modern progress in conducting them. 

He united in marriage with Miss Ollie 
Dines, a native of Shelby county, on 
September 16, 1891. The two children 
born to them are both living and still 
members of the parental household. 
They are Daniel E. and Clifford Lee, 
both youths of promise and giving ex- 
cellent fruits of their home training in 
their fidelity to duty and admirable 
traits of character. The father is a 
Democrat in his political faith and ac- 
tivity and devoted to the welfare of his 
party. He is an Odd Fellow, and be- 
longs to the Southei-n Methodist church. 

HENRY G. MILLER. 

The history of this sturdy farmer and 
stock man, sterling citizen and stimulat- 
ing force in the affairs of Black Creek 
township, this county, and that of the 
family to which he belongs, presents a 
feature of very unusual occurrence and 
interest. Both he and his father were 
soldiers in defense of the Union during 
our Civil war of unhappy memory, and 
each saw three years' service in that 
sanguinary and momentous conflict, the 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



559 



father as a corporal in his company and 
the son as a private in his. Of the mili- 
tary experiences they had, both have 
been restrained by natural modesty and 
genuine worth from saying much, espe- 
cially in their own behalf. But the 
knowledge of others, based on well as- 
certained facts, has established the truth 
that they bore well their part in the 
shock of battle or frenzy of the charge, 
and bravely endured the hardships and 
trials of duty in camp and on the march. 

Mr. Miller is a native of Shelby 
county, Missouri, born on March 20, 
1842, and is a scion of old Alabama fami- 
lies. His grandfather was a native of 
that state, and not the first representa- 
tive of the family that lived there. In 
that state also the father and mother of 
the interesting siibject of this sketch 
were also born and reared. The father, 
Solomon W. Miller, came to Missouri in 
1836, and located in Shelby county. He 
bought a farm of 120 acres of land near 
Shelbyville, and on that he lived and la- 
bored with well applied industry and 
fidelity to every requirement of duty 
until 1856. He then built a mill, known 
all over the surrounding country as 
"Miller's mill," and for a long time one 
of the landmarks and central gathering 
places for farmers and others for many 
miles around. He was successful and 
prosperous in both his farming and mill- 
ing operations, and became a man of 
substance and of prominence in the com- 
munity. The mill was built in the neigh- 
borhood of Shelbyville. 

Solomon AV. Miller was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Jane Tolliver, a native 
of Alabama, the marriage taking place 
in Indiana. Seven children were born 



in the household, four of whom are liv- 
ing, and all but one of them residents 
of Shelby county. They are: Henry G., 
to whom these paragraphs are specially 
devoted ; Fannie, the wife of Samuel Al- 
lison; Joseph H., also a successful 
Shelby county farmer; and Emma, the 
wife of John Ruckman, of the state of 
Oklahoma. In politics the father was a 
Democrat, and in religioTi a Universalis!. 

He was a son of the South, but he was 
not favorable to the institution of sla- 
very, and was strongly opposed to the 
dismemberment of the Union. And he 
showed the strength of his convictions 
by following them to the battlefields of 
the Civil war, which so violently 
wrenched the institutions and was so 
fatal to the life and prosperity of the 
country, serving as a corporal of the 
company in which he enlisted, as has 
been stated above. He was discharged 
from the service in 1865 after being in 
it three years. 

His son, Henry G. Miller, obtained his 
education in the district schools of 
Shelby county, and after leaving them 
at once turned his attention to farming 
and milling. From then until now 
(1910) he has been energetically occu- 
pied in these industries, except during 
the three years of his service in the 
Union army during the Civil war, men- 
tion of which has been made in the open- 
ing paragraph of this sketch. He lives 
on an excellent farm of 160 acres near 
Shelbj^ille, which ho cultivates with 
vigor, intelligence and profit, and his 
mill is one of the established and popu- 
lar institutions of this part of the county, 
of which he is also one of the leading 
and most representative citizens, licJd in 



560 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



high esteem by all who know him and 
eai'nestly devoted to the best interests 
of the township and county in which he 
dwells and to the prosperity and ad- 
vancement of which he so essentially and 
judiciously contributes. 

Mr. Miller was married on February 
15, 1866, to Miss Mary S. Collier, a na- 
tive of Grundy county, Missouri. Seven 
of the ten children born to them are liv- 
ing: Sallie F., the wife of E. C. Grossen- 
bacher, whose home is in Texas; Mary 
C, the wife of Amos Forman, a resident 
of this county; Lizzie B., the wife of 
C. H. Walker, who lives in Quincy, Il- 
linois; James W., who is in business in 
St. Louis; Effie E., the wife of W. L 
Forman, of Shelby county; Maggie I., 
who also has her home in Shelby county; 
and Ida, who is residing at home. The 
father is a Democrat in politics and a 
Universalist in i-eligion. He gives dili- 
gent attention to the claims of both his 
party and his state, and is valued as a 
member and worker in both. In his 
business operations he has been uni- 
formly successful and jjrosperous, and 
in citizenship no man in the county 
stands higher. 

ROBERT L. CARMICHAEL. 

Transferring to this state and Black 
Creek township. Shell ty county, the ele- 
vated ideas of manhood and public duty 
he inherited from his ancestors and ac- 
quired from association in the place of 
his nativity, and coming to this locality 
with his parents at the age of sixteen, 
Robert L. Carmichael made himself a 
very useful and esteemed citizen here 
and helped materially in the woi'k of 



building up the township and county of 
his residence, in which he lived and la- 
bored for the last forty-four years. His 
death occurred February 1, 1911. 

He was born in Hampshire county, 
"Virginia, now West ^"irginia, on Octo- 
ber 28, 1850, and was a son of Robert and 
Lucy A. (Louthan) Carmichael, of the 
same nativity as himself, and a grand- 
son of Daniel Carmichael, who came to 
this country from Scotland, where he 
was born and where his forefathers 
lived many generations before that event 
occurred. The father was born on No- 
vemlier 15, 1814, and brought his family 
to Missouri in 1866. He located on a 
good farm in Shelby county and lived, 
on it until his death on November 3, 
1899. He was a planter in his native 
state and a farmer here, ])assing the 
whole of his life from boyhood in agri- 
cultural pursuits, and he attained con- 
siderable success in his work, which he 
managed with .skill and ])rosecuted witli 
vigor and enterprise of the most com- 
mendable character. 

He was mai'ried to Miss Lucy A. Lou- 
than, and by this vmion he became the 
father of six sons, five of whom are liv- 
ing: John W., Daniel A., James H., W. 
E., and Robert L., all residents of Shelby 
county. In ]iolitics the father was a 
Democrat of the old school and a de- 
voted member of his party, giving it 
loyal and effective support at all times. 
His religious association was witli the 
Methodist Episcopal church. South. He 
was a man of strong character, consid- 
erable intelligence and elevated man- 
hood, and he became one of the jiromi- 
nent and intlueiitial citizens of this 
countv. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



561 



His son, Robert L. Carmicliael, ob- 
tained his oducation in the ijublic schools 
of his native county, and while attend- 
ing them assisted his father in the man- 
agement of the plantation there. After 
his arrival in this county he continued 
this filial course until the death of his 
parents, when he took charge of the 
farm and had been actively, progres- 
sively and profitably occupied with its 
cultivation and the conduct of his large 
and remunerative live stock industry. In 
connection with the home farm he also 
cultivated what was long known as the 
Fumam farm, which he became pos- 
sessed of. His joint farm now comprised 
300 acres, and is one of the most valuable 
landed interests in the township of Black 
Creek. 

Mr. Carmicliael was married on March 
9, 1876, to Miss Sallie A. Taylor, a 
daughter of B. F. and Eliza (WilUams) 
Taylor, who have long been highly es- 
teemed residents of this county. The 
Carmichael offspring numbered five, and 
four of the children are living : Lena M., 
whose residence is still with her par- 
ents ; Winnie, the wife of Albert Kennel, 
a resident of this county ; Ethel, the wife 
of W. W. Elgin, who lives on the old 
family homestead ; and Lucy T., the wife 
of R. A. Moore, also living in Shelby 
county. Thus Mr. Carmichael 's children 
dwelled with and around liim, within 
easy communication with their par- 
ents and one another, and was thereby 
enabled to keep up to a large extent the 
old spirit of the family circle of the past. 
His political allegiance and support were 
given loyally to the Democratic party, 
and he was prominent in its councils and 
active and effective in its service. He 



had no direct religious affiliation except 
through that of his wife, who is a mem- 
ber of the Missionary Baptist church, 
but he aided in the support of all denomi- 
nations with a liberal hand. 

THEODORE B. DAMRELL. 

A representative of the third genera- 
tion of the Damrell family in Missouri, 
the subject of this review has long held 
precedence as a progressive and upright 
business man who has been very suc- 
cessful in his various enterprises, and 
as a citizen well worthy of the high re- 
gard in which he is uniformly held in 
the county that has been his home dur- 
ing the major portion of his life. He is 
now a resident of Shelbyville, he has 
given effective service in various offices 
of public trust, and is actively engaged 
in the business of buying and shipping 
high-grade horses, jacks and mules, in 
which line he has built up a large and 
flourishing business. 

Theodore B. Damrell was born on the 
homestead farm of his father in Jeffer- 
son township, Alonroe county, Missouri, 
on May 9, 1859, and is a grandson of 
Judge Edmond Damrell, who was one 
of the pioneer settlers of that coimty 
and one of the first judges of the County 
court, having been a man of prominence 
and influence in his community and hav- 
ing continued his residence in Monroe 
county until his death, in the fulness of 
years and honors. Alpheus T. Damrell, 
father of him whose name initiates this 
article, was born in Monroe county, this 
state, in 1832, and there he passed his 
entire life, having been reared to the 
sturdy discipline of the pioneer farm- 



bcn 



HISTOIJY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



stead and having gained his early edu- 
cation in the common schools of the lo- 
cality and period. After leaving school 
he continued to be associated in the work 
and management of the home farm until 
he had attained to his legal majority, 
when his father gave him a tract of land 
in Jet^erson township, that county, 
where he developed a valuable farm and 
became known as one of the thrifty and 
successful agriculturists and stock grow- 
ers and as a representative citizen of 
that section of the state, where he con- 
tinued to maintain his home until his 
death, which occurred on March 20, 
1877. At the time of his death he was 
preparing to move to Salt River town- 
ship, Shelby county. Mo., and after his 
death his family removed to the farm 
mentioned. 

In the year 1853 was solemnized the 
marriage of Alpheus T. Damrell to Miss 
Lupine Stribling, who was bom in ^Ion- 
roe county, this state, in 1839, being a 
daughter of Toliver Stribling, a sterling 
pioneer of that county. She still sur- 
vives her honored husband and now, 
venerable in years and secure in the af- 
fectionate regard of all who know her, 
she maintains her home in the city of 
Shelbyville. Of the ten children eight 
are living and all save the youngest still 
reside in Shelby county, namely: Leo- 
nidas, Tolivor S., Theodore B., Lydia, 
Orlando, Edwin M., Eppie, and Lovie 
Lupine. Lydia is the wife of Marcelus 
C. Coomes, a representative farmer of 
this county; Eppie is the wife of Will- 
iam IL ISfoore, who is likewise identified 
with agricultural pursuits in this county; 
and Lovie Tj. is the wife of James AY. 
Miller, of St. Louis, this state. In poli- 



tics the honored father was a staunch 
advocate of the principles and policies 
of the Demoratic party and he wielded 
no slight influence in public affairs of a 
local order, having been one of the 
leaders in the ranks of his i)arty in Mon- 
roe county. He was signally loyal and 
public-spirited as a citizen and his aid 
and influence were ever given in sup- 
port of measui'es and enterprises tend- 
ing to conserve the progress and ])ros- 
perity of the comnumity. He was a char- 
ter member of the Alasonic lodge at 
Florida, Monroe county, and passed its 
various official chairs. His religious 
faith was that of the Christian church, 
and his wife has long held membership 
in the same church. His name merits 
perpetuation in this work as one of the 
worthy citizens who have contributed to 
the material and civic upbuilding of this 
favored section of the state. 

Theodoi'e B. Damrell, the immediate 
subject of this review, passed his boy- 
hood and youth on the home farm, in 
whose work he early began to lend his 
aid, waxing strong in mind and body and 
duly availing himself of the advantages 
of the common schools of the locality. 
He continued to be associated in the 
work and management of the old home- 
stead farm until the death of his father 
and shortly aftei'ward removed with the 
family to the homestead in Salt River 
township, Shelby county, near Shelbina. 
The older brothers had established them- 
selves independently and he remained 
with his widowed mother, supervising 
the work of the fann, until 1879, when 
he removed to Lewis county and estab- 
lished his home near La Belle, where he 
built up a jjrosperous business as a 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



563 



dealer in horses of the better grade and 
whei'e he continued to reside nntil 1886, 
when he returned to Shelby county, 
where he engaged in gieneral farming, 
in connection with the handling of fancy 
horses and mules. In 1889 he left his 
farm and took up his abode in the city 
of Shelbyville, where he became senior 
member of the firm of Damrell & San- 
ders, dealers in general merchandise. 
This association continued for a period 
of six years, at the expiration of which 
Mr. Damrell 's brother, Edwin M., pur- 
chased Mr. Sanders ' interest in the busi- 
ness, which was thereafter successfully 
continued under the firm title of Dam- 
rell Brothers until 1901, when the stock 
and business were sold to the present 
owner, Preston B. Dunn, Jr. Since that 
time Mr. Damrell has given his atten- 
tion principally to the buying of horses, 
mules and ,iacks of the best type, and he 
has built up a large business, shipping 
principally into the western states and 
being one of the leading dealers in this 
kind of stock in this section. He is a 
stockholder of the Citizens' Bank of 
Shelbyville, of whose directorate he is a 
member, and was a. charter member and 
director of the Shelby County Eailrnad 
Company, the construction and operation 
of whose line was promoted and financed 
by the citizens of the county. Mr. Dam- 
rell never denies tlie sui^port of his in- 
fluence and tangible aid in the furthering 
of measures advanced for the general 
good of the community, and his attitude 
is essentially that of a broad-minded, 
progressive and loyal citizen, while his 
course in life has been so guided and 
governed that he has never been denied 
the fullest measure of popuhir confi- 



dence and esteem. He has served for 
eight years as a member of the board of 
aldermen of Shelbyville and at the pres- 
ent time is serving his first term as a 
member of the board of education of his 
home city. He is a stalwart in the local 
camp of the Democratic party and takes 
an active part in its work. He is affil- 
iated with the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of 
America, and both he and his wife are 
zealous members of the Christian church, 
giving a liberal support to the various 
departments of its work. 

On January 19, 1888, was solemnized 
the marriage of Mr. Damrell to Miss 
Nellie E. Hughes, who was born and 
reared in Shelby county, being a daugh- 
ter of the late William A. Hughes, an 
honored pioneer settler and the organizer 
of the first bank in the county. Mr. and 
Mrs. Damrell have one daughter, Mary 
Hughes Damrell, who remains at the 
])a rental home and is one of the popular 
figures in connection with the social 
activities of the community. 

JAMES M. HOLLIDAY. 

The subject of this sketch has been 
an intimate friend of the writer for more 
than fifty years, and at our own request 
the county historian has kindly permit- 
ted us' to write this brief sketch of the 
life of our friend as connected with the 
people of Shelby county. 

James M. Holliday was born in Scot- 
land county, Missouri, Januaiy 2, 18.39, 
moved to Shelby coimty, Missouri, with 
his parents in the month of November, 
1S.')2. His father, his father's brother, 
and tlieir mother were among the pio- 



564 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



neer settlers of Shelby county, and were 
connected with its early history. His 
uncle, Judge William J. Holliday, was 
Shelby county's first representative in 
the Missouri legislature. 

Our friend like most of our pioneer 
fathers who prepared this great country 
for its present civilization, was deprived 
of a college education, but he through 
his own effort and resources amassed 
a wonderful volume of information. 

He was an untiring reader, a deep 
thinker, and a walking encyclopedia. 
He never forgot anything he heard or 
read, if it interested him. He was en- 
thusiastic in his convictions and loyal 
to his fi'iends; a man who would boldly 
do battle in the conflicts of life for the 
success of his friends ; honest in pur- 
pose, resourceful in strength, and judi- 
cious in his executive accomplishments. 
Religiously he was a member of the 
Christian church, his biblical infoi-ma- 
tion equal to many who have made the 
Bible a life stud^^ 

Politicalh', a Democrat, while he never 
held a verj' lucrative office he has many 
times been honored with positions of 
trust. 

He was appointed constable of Taylor 
township in 1871, was elected public ad- 
ministrator of Shelby county and com- 
missioned by Governor Woodson in 
1874, but never qualified. Was elected 
justice of the jjeace of Taylor township 
in 1876 and held that ofiSce for six years ; 
was appointed and commissioned by 
Governor Francis in 1890 as a notary 
public of Shelby county and filled that 
office for four years, and in 1894, at the 
solicitation of Congressman William IT. 
Hatch, he was api)ointed, by ^Ir. Hurt, 



the doorkeeper of the house of repre- 
sentatives of the fifty-third congress, 
messenger and assigned to the commit- 
tee on agriculture, which was Colonel 
Hatch's committee. This position he 
filled during the rest of Colonel Hatch's 
career as congressman, and the Hon. 
William H. Hatch never had a warmer 
friend or a greater admirer than James 
M. Holliday. 

While in Washington Mr. Holliday 
visited Memorial Hall and was mortified 
to find Missouri with her long list of 
illustrious men without a representative. 
Mr. Holliday, being a student of Mis- 
souri's great men and an admirer of Col. 
Thomas H. Benton, at once begun the 
agitation of the question of having the 
statue of Thomas H. Benton placed in 
Statuary Hall in Washington, D. C. He 
wrote an article and had it published in 
the Shelbina "Democrat," calling atten- 
tion to this neglect. 

He also wrote a letter to Governor 
Stone, urging him to take up the matter, 
to which Governor Stone replied, prom- 
ising to bring the matter before the leg- 
islature in his message, and this was 
done and Squire Holliday 's work was 
accomplished, which is a jewel among 
his successes of which he has always 
been proud. 

It was his especial desii'e to have Col. 
Thomas IT. Benton represent Missouri 
in Statuary Hall in Washington, D. C, 
but along with this the Missouri legis- 
lature placed the statue of Francis P. 
Blair. 

James M. Holliday left Shelby county 
in November, 189fi, moving to the state 
of Montana, again entering into the 
hardships and enjoying the hospitalities 




WILLIAM A. HIRRLINGER 



HISTORY OP SHELBY COUNTY 



dG3 



of pioneer life. He located on and home- 
steaded 160 acres of land, lived on it 
five years, proved up and got a deed to 
it. Has been successful in other ven- 
tures and has a nice competency to lean 
upon in his declining years. 

He has had the confidence of the 
Democratic party in the great state of 
Montana, as evidenced Ijy liis nomina- 
tions for the legislature and county com- 
missioner without his solicitation. 

He has while in Montana filled the 
office of postmaster four years, road 
supervisor six years, and has been hon- 
ored many times with various minor of- 
fices. He is now living in Helena, Mon- 
tana, and is a constant reader of the 
"Shelby County Herald" and "Shelbina 
Democrat," and has never lost interest 
in Shelby county people and tlieir enter- 
prises or its history. 

WILLIAM A. HIRELINGEE. 

William A. Hirrlinger, one of the 
leading farmers of Jefferson township, 
in this county, was born in Riohhand 
county, Ohio, on June 28, 1846, but came 
to Missouri with his parents in 1852. 
The family took up its residence at Shel- 
))yville, and here he grew to manhood 
and ol)tained his education. He lias 
passed all his subsequent years in this 
county, and may therefore, without im- 
propriety, be called a product of Shelby 
county, and in all respects except his 
liirtli a Missourian. For he is thor- 
ougiily imbued with the spirit of the 
people of this state, and devoted to its 
welfare in every way. 

^Ir. Hirrlinger 's paternal grandfather, 
Frederick Hirrlinger, was born and 



passed his life in Germany. His son, 
William, the father of William A., was 
also born in that country, his life begin- 
ning in the city of Wittenburg in 1822. 
In 1844 he came to the United States and 
during the next six years had his home 
in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1850 he moved 
to Illinois, and in 1852 to Missouri, set- 
tling his family at Shelbyville. During 
the Civil war he enlisted in the army, his 
regiment becoming a part of the com- 
mand of General Greene, and while the 
conflict lasted he saw considerable active 
service, taking part in the battles of 
Lexington and Pea Ridge, Missouri, and 
a number of other engagements of great 
or small importance. 

He was a cabinet maker, and at the 
close of his military service returned to 
Shelbyville and worked at his trade until 
1865. He then turned his attention to 
farming, which he followed until his 
death in May, 1871. The mother, whose 
maiden name was Magdalena Doerr, was 
also a native of German j" and a daughter 
of Jacob and Magdalena Doerr, who 
were born and reared in that country, 
and belonged to families long resident 
there. She died on July 11, 1887. By 
their marriage they became the parents 
of seven children. One of them died in 
infancy and the rest grew to maturity. 
Those now living are: William A., the 
subject of this sketch; Magdalena, the 
wife of Stephen M. Hancock, of Marion, 
Indiana; Eliza, the wife of John Van 
Houten; Emma, the wife of Charles 
Rheinheimer, of Shelbyville; and Cora, 
the wife of L. L. Wheeler, of Clarence. 

William A. Hirrlinger attended the 
schools in Shelby^nlle, and after com- 
pleting their course of stiidy worked at 



566 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



the carpenter trade until 1870. He then 
became a farmer and has been one ever 
since. In 1875 he located in Jefferson 
townshiij, this county, and from that time 
to the present (1910) has been engaged 
in his chosen occupation there. His farm 
comprises 162 acres of first rate land and 
is well improved and vigorously culti- 
vated according to the most advanced 
modern methods. It is very x^roductive, 
yielding good returns for the labor and 
care bestowed ui)on it. Through its 
products Mr. Hirrlinger has gained a 
competency for life, and by his faithful 
attention to all the duties of citizenship 
and his cordial interest in and energetic 
activity in promoting the welfare of his 
township and county, he has arisen to an 
exalted ]ilace in the regard and good will 
of their people. 

He was married in November, 1871, to 
Miss Keziah A. Barr, a native of this 
coimty. They had four children, all of 
whom are living. They are : Virgil F., 
whose home is in this county ; Lily Irene, 
the wife of G. M. Edmonds, of Clay town- 
ship, this county; Bertha E., the wife 
of G. C. Chinn, of Lentner township; 
and ^Tyrtle, the wife of S. B. Searles, of 
Belleville, Ontario, Canada. Their 
mother died on June 28, 1882, and on 
April 15, 1885, the father married a sec- 
ond wife, making Miss Louisa Hen- 
niuger, a native of INTonroe county, his 
choice on this occasion. They had no 
children. His second wife died in 1892, 
and in 1894 he married a third, i\liss Ma- 
ria Turney, a daughter of Daniel and 
Hannah (Waite) Turney, natives of Can- 
ada, who located in Monroe county, Mis- 
souri, in 1869. They, also, have no chil- 
dren. 



In political connection Mr. Hirrlinger 
is allied with the Democratic party. 
"When Mr. Hirrlinger became of age he 
offered his first vote for Seymour in 
1868, but was denied the right to vote on 
the ground that his father had served in 
the Confederate army, notwithstanding 
the fact that he had himself been mus- 
tered into the Missouri militia during 
the last year of the war and had done 
guard duty at Shelbyville during Ander- 
son's raid on Shelbina. He served on 
the school board about six years, and 
in many other ways has been beneficial 
to the township and county by reason 
of his public spirit and helpful interest 
in the public affairs of his locality. He is 
a director of the Farmers' Mutual In- 
surance Company of the county, and 
connected with other institutions of value 
to the people. His religious affiliation 
is with the Methodist Episcopal Church 
South, of which his wife is also a mem- 
ber, and in the congi-egation to which 
they belong he has been one of the stew- 
ards for more than forty years. His 
interest in church work leads him to 
great industry in the worthy and com- 
mendable activities of the sect to which 
he is attached, and also to serviceable 
exertions in behalf of other church or- 
ganizations. Jefferson townshi]) has no 
better or more useful citizen, and none 
whom the ])eople hold in more coi .lial 
and sincere regard. 

JOHN M. WOOD. 

The subject of this brief sketch is one 
of the able and popular officials of Shelby 
county, where he has been superinten- 
dent of the countv infinnarv from the 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



567 



time of its establishmeut in 1900. He 
has proved a most careful, efficient and 
generous executive officer in connection 
with this well ordered institution for the 
aid of the helpless and indigent residents 
of the county, and he is well entitled to 
representation in this publication. 

Mr. Wood is a scion of one of the 
sterling pioneer families of Missouri, 
though he himself is a native of the 
Lone Star state. His paternal grand- 
fathei', Malcolm Wood, was born and 
reared in Missouri, where he passed his 
entire life, his parents having come from 
Kentucky to this state in an early day. 
John M. Wood was born in Texas on 
September G, 1872, and is a son of John 
and Sallie (Swearengen) Wood, both of 
whom were natives of Shelby county, 
Missouri, and now reside near Walker- 
ville in this county. The father devoted 
practically his entire active career to 
agricultural pursuits, in which connec- 
tion he maintained his residence in Texas 
for a period of about four years, at the 
expiration of which he returned to Mis- 
souri. He is a Democrat in his political 
proclivities, is affiliated with the Ma- 
sonic fraternity and the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows, and both he and 
his wife hold membership in the Metho- 
dist Episcopal church. South. They be- 
came the parents of thirteen children, of 
whom only five are now living, nameh^: 
James H., who is a resident of Knox 
county, this state; Cora, who is the wife 
of Charles Quigley, of Shelby county; 
John M., who is the immediate subject 
of this review; Emma G., who is the wife 
of James Fitzpatrick, of Shelby county; 
and Nellie, who resides on the old home- 
stead in Shelbv countv. 



John M. Wood was about four years 
of age at the time of the family's return 
from Texas to Missouri, and he was 
reared to maturity on tlie homestead 
farm of his father in Salt River town- 
ship, Shelby coimty, where he received 
his early educational training in 
the district schools. From his youth 
to the present time he has been actively 
identified with the great basic art of 
agriculture, having continued to be in- 
dividually engaged in this vocation and 
in the raising of live stock in this county 
from the time he was twenty-one years 
of age until 1900, on the 15th of Febru- 
ary of which year he was assigned charge 
of the Shelby county poor farm. Upon 
the completion of the infirmary build- 
ings he was continued in charge of the 
farm and made superintendent of the 
infirmary. The institution is located 
one-half mile northwest of the city of 
S h e 1 b y V i 1 1 e and the farm contains 
twenty-six acres, affording adequate 
provision for raising much of the food 
products required in the conducting of 
the institution, which has about thirty- 
three inmates at the time of this writing, 
in the spring of 1910. The main build- 
ing, a substantial structure of pressed 
l)rick, is modern in its design and sani- 
tary provisions, is two stories in height, 
with ample basement, and is 40 by 60 
feet in dimensions. Tiie plumbing is of 
the best type and the building is heated 
with steam. The county is to be hon- 
ored in having made so effective pro- 
vision for its unfortunate wards and is 
to be congratulated on having in charge 
of the infinnary so cajiable, earnest and 
true-hearted a manager, — one who has 
deep sympathy for those consigned to his 



568 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



care but who is not lacking in tlie main- 
tenance of proper discipline. 

In politics Mr. Wood gives his alle- 
giance to the Democratic party and he is 
essentially loyal and public-spirited as 
a citizen. In a fraternal way he is iden- 
tified with Shelby Lodge, No. 33, Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, in Shel- 
b;i"\'ille, and he holds memliership in the 
Methodist Episcopal church. South, and 
his wife of the Christian church, in 
whose work they take a zealous interest. 

On March 9, 1898, Mr. Wood was 
united in marriage to ^liss Bessie Grif- 
fith, who was bom, reared and educated 
in Shelby county, and who is his effective 
and popular coadjutor at the infirmary, 
of which she is matron. She is a daugh- 
ter of John Griffith, a representative 
farmer of this coimty. Mr. and Mrs. 
Wood have an adopted son, John T., 
who is five years of age. 

PRESTOX B. DUNN. 

One of the representative and hon- 
ored citizens of Shelby county and a 
scion of one of its best known pioneer 
families, Hon. Preston B. Dunn, vice- 
president of the Shelbyville Bank, has 
so ordered his course in all the relations 
of life that he lias made his influence 
felt in a potent way in connection with 
industrial, financial and civic affairs and 
matters of public import. He stands as 
a fine type of loyal and useful citizen- 
ship, has attained to large and generous 
success through worthy' means, and well 
merits the high esteem in which he is 
held in his native coimty. He was for- 
merly president of the bank of which 
he is now vice-president, being one of 



the largest stockholders of this substan- 
tial institution and having, in his present 
office, acted principally in an advisory 
capacity since his retirement from the 
presidency. A review of the history of 
the Shelbyville Bank appears on other 
pages of this publication. 

Preston B. Dunn was born on the 
homestead farm of his father, in Black 
Creek townshi]), Shelby county, Missouri, 
on August 9, 1843, and is a grandson of 
James Dunn, who was one of the ster- 
ling pioneers of Kentucky, where he con- 
tinued to reside until his death. In Jes- 
samine county, that state, John Dunn, 
father of the subject of this review, was 
born in the year 1792, and there he was 
reared to maturity and continued to 
maintain his home until 1824, when he 
came to Missouri and numbered himself 
among the early settlers of Howard 
county, where he remained until 1832. 
when he removed to Clarion county, from 
which section he came to Shelby county 
in 1836. Here he secured a tract of land 
sis miles west of the present thriving lit- 
tle city of Shelb>'\nlle, the old home- 
stead, which he developed into a pro- 
ductive fann, having been located in 
Black Creek township. He was a man 
of energy-, ambition, sti'ong mentality 
and mature judgment, and he played no 
insignificant part in the material and 
civic upbuilding of the county, where he 
ever conunauded the fullest measure of 
]^opular confidence and esteem and where 
he continued to maintain his home until 
his death, which occuiTod in July. 186(i, 
having retired from active labors in the 
same year and having been a resident of 
Sliclbj"\Mlle at the time of his demise. 
He was one of the extensive and success- 



HISTOUY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



569 



ful fanners aud stock-growers of this 
section of the state and wielded marked 
and beneficent inflnence in connection 
with local affairs of a public order. He 
was a staunch Whig m politics and after 
the dissolution of that party gave his 
allegiance to the cause of the American 
and Union parties. He became the 
owner of a considerable number o^" 
slaves and his sympathies were with the 
cause of the Union when the Civil war 
was projected upon a divided nation. 
Both he and his wife were zealous mem- 
bers of the Presbyterian church, show- 
ing their lively and constant faith in all 
manner of good works and kindly deeds. 

In the year 1818 was solemnized the 
marriage of John Dunn to Miss Eliza- 
beth Doak, who was born and reared in 
Harrison county, Kentucky, and who 
was a woman of noble and gracious 
attributes of eliaracter, her fidelity and 
strength being such as to make her a 
true helpmeet in the strenuous life of 
the pioneer days. She was summoned to 
the life eternal in 1876. Of the thirteen 
children three died in infancy, and of the 
number only two are now living: Mar- 
tha C, who is the wife of John F. 
McMurray, of Shelbina, this county, and 
Preston B., whose name initiates this 
article. 

Preston B. Dunn was reared to the 
sturdy and invigorating discipline of the 
pioneer farm and to the common schools 
of Shelliy county, including the Shelby 
high school, of Shelbyville, he is indebted 
for his early educational training, which 
was effectively supplemented by a cour.se 
in Westminster College, at Fulton, Mis- 
souri, in which institution he was grad- 
uated as a member of the class of 1864. 



Thereafter he remained on the old home- 
stead and devoted a portion of the time 
to teaching in the country schools until 
1866, when he entered the Louisville 
Law School, at Louisville, Kentucky, in 
which institution he was graduated in 
March, 1867, with the degree of Bachelor 
of Law. Shortly afterward, at Shelby- 
ville, he was admitted to the bar of his 
native state, and there he began the 
practical work of his profession, in which 
he gained high prestige and unqualified 
success and in which he continued con- 
secutively until 1892. He was identified 
during the long intervening years with 
much important litigation, retained a 
large and representative clientage, and 
was kno-rni as a counsellor well forti- 
fied in the science of jurisjjrudence and 
in the practical application of the same. 

In 1893 Mr. Dunn was elected presi- 
dent of the Shelbyville Bank and he con- 
tinued as the able chief executive of this 
solid and popular financial institution 
until 1899, when he resigned the active 
administrative duties to others, though 
he has since continued to serve as vice- 
president, as previously stated in this 
article. 

In politics Mr. Dunn has been a zeal- 
ous and effective advocate of the prin- 
ciples and policies of the Democratic 
party, but his partisanship is not of the 
narrow order that i)r('cludes the view- 
ing of public matters from a bx'oad- 
minded and clearly outlined vantage 
point. As a young man he served as 
deputy collector of Shelby county, and 
in 1890 he was elected as representative 
of Shelby county in the state legislature, 
in which he made an admirable record. 
He is affiliated with the Independent 



570 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Order of Odd Fellows, is a member of 
the Presbyterian church, and his wife is 
a communicant of the Protestant Epis- 
copal church. As a citizen he has ever 
been liberal, loyal and progressive, and 
he has done mueli to further the material 
and civic advancement of his home 
county, of whose citizens he is one of the 
best known and most highly honored, and 
of whose bar he was long one of the 
leading members. 

On January 9, 1873, Mr. Dunn was 
united in marriage to Miss Clara Mc- 
Murtry, who was born and reared in 
Shelby county, where her father, Alex- 
ander McMurtry, was a sterling pioneer 
settler. Mrs. Dimn was summoned to 
eternal rest on March 8, 1885, and both 
of their children are living: Alexander 
M., who is now cashier of the Shelby- 
ville Bank; and Preston B., Jr., who is 
engaged in business at San Antonio, 
Texas. On December 2(5, 1888, was sol- 
emnized the marriage of Mr. Dunn to 
Miss Lillie M. Rogers, daughter of Ste- 
phen Kogers, of Monroe City, this state, 
and they have one child, Clara E., who is 
a popular tigure in connection with the 
social activities of her native city. 

THE SHELBYVILLE BANK. 

Among the oldest and most favorably 
known of the secure and ably managed 
banking houses of northern Missouri is 
that known as the Shell)yville Bank, 
which dates its incei)tion back to the year 
1874, when it was organized under the 
title of the Shelby County Savings Bank. 
It was originally a jointstock institu- 
tion, of which John T. Cooper was presi- 
dent and Philip Dinnnitt cashier. Under 



these conditions the bank was continued 
successfully for several years, and then 
its president and cashier purchased the 
stock of the other interested principals 
and changed the title to Cooper & Dim- 
mitt. As a private institution conducted 
by this firm, the bank gained wide repute 
as one of the substantial and solid finan- 
cial institutions of the state, and its title 
to popular support and confidence was 
based not more clearly upon its sound 
financial basis than upon the high char- 
acter of the men who controlled its af- 
fairs. Mr. Cooper sold his interest to 
Dr. Philip Dimmitt, and thereafter the 
business was successfullj- continued un- 
der the title of Philip Dimmitt, banker, 
with operations based on a capital of 
$12,000. Dr. Dimmitt had in his employ, 
in an executive capacity, his son Frank 
and later Lindley G. Schofield also. In 
1892, after the "death of his wife, Dr. 
Dimmitt retired from active business, 
having sold the banking business, De- 
cember 13th of that year, to Preston B. 
Dunn, Lindley G. Schofield, Frank, 
Prince, and Marvin, Pope and Lee Dim- 
mitt. At this time the institution was 
reorganized under the title of the Shel- 
byville Bank, which has since been re- 
tained, the previously mentioned gentle- 
men l)eing the stockholders of the bank, 
whose capital was increased to $20,000. 
The officers elected under the new re- 
gime were as here noted: Preston B. 
Dunn, president; Lindley G. Schofield, 
cashier ; and these executive officers were 
also members of the directorate, which 
likewise included the other three stock- 
holders, Frank. Prince and Pope Dim- 
mitt. On :^lay 31, 1S!)4. the capital stock 
was increased to $20,000, and at the next 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



571 



annual election, in 1895, the following- 
directors were chosen: Preston B. Dunn, 
Lindley G. Schotield, Prank and Prince 
Dimmitt, and Reason Baker. Mr. Dunn 
continued in the presidency and Mr. 
Schofield became vice-president, being 
succeeded in the position of cashier by 
Marvin Dimmitt. Under these condi- 
tions the business was thereafter con- 
tinued until 1902, in the annual election 
of which year the following directors 
were chosen : Preston B. Dunn, Joseph 
Doyle, John Frye, Prince Dimmitt, and 
A. M. Dunn. As Mr. Dunn wished to 
retire from active administrative duties, 
Prince Dimmitt was elected president 
and Mr. Dunn assumed the essentially 
honorary ofiSce of vice-president. They 
have since continued incumbent of these 
positions, and A. M. Dunn, son of the 
vice-president, has been the able and 
popular cashier. George 0. Tannehill 
has been assistant cashier since Janu- 
ary, 1904. The directorate remains un- 
changed, save that Preston B. Dunn, Jr., 
succeeded John Frye in the election of 
1904. The history of the Shelbyville 
Bank has been one of continuous and 
substantial growth and expansion, and 
at all times have its interested princi- 
pals stood representative of the best 
class of citizenship as well as of finan- 
cial stability. The bank controls a large 
and important business and adds ma- 
terially to the business prestige of 
Shelby county. 

SANFORD BAKER. 

Mr. Baker, who is postmaster at Ep- 
worth, is one of the successful and popu- 
lar business men of this village and is 



well entitled to consideration in this pub- 
lication. He served with no little dis- 
tinction as a member of the regular 
army of the United States, in which he 
took part in the Spanish- American war, 
and was later stationed in the Philip- 
pine Islands, and as a citizen he mani- 
fests the same sjjirit of loj^alty that made 
him an effective soldier of the reiaublic. 

Mr. Baker is a native of the fine old 
Buckeye state, having been born at 
Woodsfield, Monroe county, Ohio, on 
March 15, 1877, and being a scion of one 
of the pioneer families of that state, 
where his grandfather, Henry Baker, a 
native of Pennsylvania, took up his 
abode in an early day. Leander C. 
Baker, father of the subject of this 
sketch, was likewise born at AVoodsfield, 
Ohio, in the year 1854, and there he was 
reared and educated. His active career 
was one of close identification with ag- 
ricultural i^ursuits, and he died when a 
young man, having passed away on April 
8, 1886, at which time he was a resident 
of ]\Ionroe county, Ohio. In 1876 he was 
united in marriage to Miss Susana Mc- 
Cammon, of Woodsfield, Ohio, and she 
is still living, maintaining her home in 
Shelby county, Missouri. They became 
tlie parents of three children, of whom 
the eldest is he whose name initiates this 
article; ^linnie is the wife of John F. 
Burkhardt, of Shelby county; and Lucy 
C. is the wife of Joseph Wilson, likewise 
a resident of this county. 

Sanford Baker secured liis rudimen- 
tary education in the jmblic schools and 
was about eleven years of age at the 
time of the family removal to Missouri, 
whore ho continued to attend school as 
(ipjtortunity i)rosonted. After leaving 



572 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



school be followed farm work, princi- 
pally ill Illinois and Nevada, until 1897, 
when he enlisted in Company H, Twen- 
ty-second United States Infantry, nnder 
command of Colonel Wycoff, who was 
killed in an engagement in Cuba in the 
Spanish- American war. Mr. Baker was 
with his regiment in this conflict with 
Spain, having taken part in the battle of 
El Caney, the bombardment and siege 
of Santiago de Cuba, and having been 
present at the capitulation of that city. 
He also took part in many engagements 
after his regiment was sent to the Phil- 
ippine Islands, where he remained until 
the expiration of his three years' term 
of enlistment, when he was mustered 
out, at Cabiou island of Luzon, on Au- 
gust 10, 1900, duly receiving his honor- 
able discharge, with the rank of cor- 
poral. Immediately after his discharge 
from the service Mr. Baker set sail for 
America, disembarking in the port of 
San Francisco and thence coming to the 
home of his mother, near Bethel, Shelby 
county, Missouri, where he remained for 
a short interval. He then went to 
Quincy, Illinois, where he was employed 
in a wagon shop for one year, after 
which he passed two years in Nevada, 
where he was employed for some time in 
a gold stani]) mill and later in an estab- 
lishment liaiidling gold by the cyanide 
process. 

In 1904 ]\Ir. Baker returned to Shelby 
county and for the ensuing three years 
he had charge of his mother's Jiomestead 
farm, \\\Hm which he erected within this 
period a new house and barn. In 1907 
he opened a blacksmith, wagon and gen- 
eral repair sho]) in the village of Ep- 
worlh, where he has since continued in 



business and where he has built up a 
prosperous enterprise, being a skilled 
mechanic and conducting business ac- 
cording to the most fair and honorable 
methods, so that he has a strong hold 
upon the confidence and esteem of the 
community. This sterling veteran of the 
Spanish- American war is now in another 
department of government service, as he 
has been postmaster of Epworth since 
February, 1908. ^Ir. Baker marches 
gallantly and loyallj' under the banner 
of the Eepublican ]iarty, and in a fra- 
ternal way he is affiliated with the In- 
dependent Order of Odd Fellows. 

On December 23, 1907, Mr. Baker was 
united in marriage to Miss Margaret E. 
Johnson, who was born and reared in 
this county, being a daughter of Fred- 
erick H. Johnson, a representative 
farmer of Bethel township. Mrs. Baker 
passed to the life eternal on May 12, 
1909, and is survived by one child, 
Oliver J. 

JAMES F. MOEAN. 

The owner of a fine farm property in 
Bethel townshi]i, the subject of this re- 
view is one of the representative agri- 
culturists and stock-growers of the 
county, is a citizen who has exerted much 
influence in local affairs of a public 
order and who has served as county 
judge, of which office he was incumbent 
for two terms. He has been a resident 
of the county since 1880 and here has 
attained independence and definite suc- 
cess through his well directed efforts, 
the while lu> has at all times commanded 
the unqualified confidence and respect of 
those with whom he has come in contact 
in the various relations of life. 




JAMES L. HOLLIDAY 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



5* o 



Judge Moran is a native of Mason 
county, Kentucl<y, where he was born on 
May 16, 1858, being a representative of 
a family early founded in the fine old 
Bluegrass commonwealth, where he was 
reared and educated and where he con- 
tinued to reside until 1880, when, as a 
young man of twenty-two years, he came 
to Missouri and took up his residence 
in Shelby county. He purchased a farm 
of eighty acres, northwest of the village 
of Bethel, where he was engaged in 
farming for six years, at the expiration 
of which he disposed of the property 
and removed to a farm three miles 
southwest of Shelbyville, where he re- 
mained until he removed to his present 
fine homestead in Bethel township, where 
he now has a well improved farm of 256 
acres. The place bears every evidence 
of thrift and prosperity and shows the 
interposition of an owner of marked en- 
ergy and progressive ideas. The build- 
ings are of substantial order and Judge 
Moran is constantly devising ways and 
means for the further improvement of 
his farm, which is devoted to diversified 
agriculture and the raising of excellent 
grades of live stock. 

Judge Moran has maintained a liberal 
and loyal attitude as a citizen and has 
given his influence and tangible co-oper- 
ation in the support of measures and 
enterprises tending to further the ma- 
terial and civic prosperity of the com- 
munity. In politics he is found arrayed 
as a stalwart advocate of the principles 
of the Democratic party, and in 1902 he 
was elected county judge, being chosen 
as his own successor at the expiration 
of his first term and thus serving in this 
office for four consecutive years. He has 



also given efficient service in the offices 
of school director and road overseer* 
He and his wife are earnest and zealous 
members of the Missionary Baptist 
church. 

On October 26, 1880, was solemnized 
the marriage of Judge Moran to Miss 
Ocea E. Clift, who was born and reared 
in Mason coiinty, Kentucky, being a 
daughter of Silas A. and Ellen (Dye) 
Clift, who still reside in that state. 
Judge and Mrs. Moran are the parents 
of five children, namely: William E., 
who resides in Shelljyville ; Ambrose, 
who is a resident of Republican City, 
Nebraska ; and Albert W., S h e 1 b i n a ; 
Mary Fay, and Alice, who remain at the 
parental home. 

The parents of Judge Moran were 
Robert and Bridget (Fay) Moran, both 
natives of Ireland. They were both 
brought to the United States as children 
and were married in Kentucky. The 
father was a blacksmith and followed it 
through life. The mother still resides 
in Kentucky, the judge being the only 
one residing in Missouri. 

JAMES L. HOLLIDAY. 

Born in Shelby county, Missouri, near- 
ly sixty-two years ago, on Deceml)er 13, 
1848, and having passed all his subse- 
quent years within its liorders, attend- 
ing its public schools, working on his 
father's farm and later farming one of 
his own, and thus contributing essen- 
tially and practically to the growth and 
development of the county and the pro- 
motion of some of its leading industries, 
James L. HoUiday, of T51ack Creek town- 
ship, has proven himself a citizen of 



574 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



value to this part of the state, and fullj^ 
worthy of the confidence and esteem of 
the people, which he enjoys wherever 
he is known. 

His grandfather was a native of Vir- 
ginia, and a descendant of families do- 
mesticated in that state and factors in 
its history from early times. Mr. Hol- 
liday's father, James ^M. HoUiday, and 
his mother, whose maiden name was Em- 
ily Vandiver, were also born and reared 
in Virginia. They, were married in 
[Shelby county, and had seven children, 
three of whom are living: Richard S., 
whose home is in Carroll county, Arkan- 
sas; James L., the subject of this brief 
memoir; and Emma, the wife of Arthur 
FreeUmd, who also lives in this county. 

The father came to Missouri in about 
1832. He had I)een a trader between St. 
Louis and iSanta Fe, New Mexico, at an 
early period in the history of this part 
of the country under American rule. On 
his arrival and location in Shelby county 
he took up his residence on a tract of KiO 
acres of wild land, which was yet virgin 
to the plow and still luxuriated in the un- 
pruned growth of centuries. After bring- 
ing this tract to a somewhat advanced 
stage of systematic productiveness and 
converting it into a home for his family, 
lie bought another tract of the same size 
and repeated his work of improvement 
on that, thereafter working both tracts 
under his personal management and su- 
pervision until his death in May, 1857. 
He had been successful as a traveling 
trader and he was highly successful for 
his day as a farmer and live stock 
breeder and feeder. His localized indus- 
tries in this county were of great im- 
portance to a wide extent of country, for 



while he was carrying them on, at least 
during the iirst years of his residence 
here, the population was si)arse, supplies 
were scarce and every kind of production 
for the sustenance and comfort of the 
])eople was of great value. He met the 
requirements of the situation as far as 
his facilities would permit, and being an 
imjioitant factor in the work of provid- 
ing the necessities of life for an exten- 
sive frontier, he became a man of conse- 
quence in the public affairs of the region, 
as well as a highly appreciated purveyor 
for the physical wants of its scattered in- 
habitants. In politics he was a Whig and 
took a very serviceable ]iart in the activi- 
ties of his party. His religious affiliation 
was with the Southern Methodist church. 
His wife died in 1865, after many years 
of great usefulness as his assistant in 
everything he undertook in the way of 
business. 

Their son James L. began his educa- 
tion in the district school near his home 
and completed it at a high school in Shel- 
byville. After leaving school he worked 
as a hired hand on farms for a period of 
five years. At the end of that time he 
settled on a farm of sixty acres which he 
inherited from his father and which he 
has since increased to 208 acres, all of 
which he has improved to high value and 
made extensively productive. He has 
also been long engaged in raising live 
stock steadily, enlarging his operations 
in this line as his prosperity increased 
and his facilities became greater. 

Mr. Holliday was married on March 5, 
1878, to Miss Sarah C. Tingle, a native of 
Shelby county. They have had seven 
children, six of whom are living — Maud 
E.. the wife of Joseph 0. Foreman, a res- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



575 



ideiit of Shelby county ; Mrgie, the wife 
of Albert Bethards, a resident of Meade 
county, South Dakota ; and Thomas E., 
Bertha, now Mrs. Roy Bethards, of 
Meade county. South Dakota ; Maggie 
and Ella, all of whom still liave their 
home with their parents. The father fol- 
lows the fortunes of the Democratic 
party in faith and iiolitical action, and is 
a steady worker for the success of that 
organization. In religion he and his wife 
are Southern Methodists. All the mem- 
bers of the family are well esteemed, be- 
ing accounted useful citizens, true to the 
best interests of their township and 
county and zealous in promoting the gen- 
eral welfare, the progress and the sub- 
stantial improvement of both. 

LUKE VAN OSDOL. 

In his native township of Bethel Mr. 
Van Osdol is now to be accounted one 
of the successful farmers and stock- 
growers, and as a well known and highly 
esteemed citizen of the county which has 
represented his home from the time of 
his ))irth to the present. Through en- 
ergy, industry and well directed enter- 
prise he has gained a success worthy 
the name, and he well merits the high 
regard in which he is imiformly held. 

Mr. Van Osdol was born on his 
father's homestead farm, in Bethel 
township, six miles distant from his own 
farm home today, and the date of his 
nativity was April 1, 1877. He is a scion 
of a family founded in the state of In- 
diana in the pioneer epoch of its history, 
and in that commonwealth his grand- 
father, Madison Van Osdol, a farmer by 
vocation, passed his entire life. The 



original American progenitors came to 
this country from Holland. Thomas 
Jefferson Van Osdol, father of him 
whose name initiates this sketch, was 
born in Indiana, on Christmas day of 
the year 1835, and was there reared to 
maturity. At the age of twenty years 
he left the Iloosier state and came to 
Missouri, taking up his residence in 
Bethel township, Shelby county, where 
he secured a tract of land and developed 
a productive farm. Here he continued 
to reside until his death, which occurred 
on April 25, 1889. His wife, whose 
maiden name was Elizabeth Miller, was 
likewise a native of Indiana, and her 
death occurred in the fall of 1897. They 
became the parents of eleven children, 
of whom seven are living, namely: Jo- 
seph 0., who is a resident of Linn county, 
Missouri; Oscar, who resides in Kirks- 
ville, this state; Annie, who is the wife 
of John K. Hiestaud, of Harper county, 
Kansas; Weber, who resides at Plevna, 
Missouri; Susan, who is the wife of Lafy 
Hunt, of Knox county, this state; Luke, 
who is the immediate subject of this 
sketch; and Maud, who is the wife of 
Coy D. Fox, of Linn comity, ^lissouri. 
Luke Van Osdol passed his boyhood 
and youth on the home farm and was 
not denied ample opportunity for the 
learning of the practical lessons of hon- 
est toil, while his educational advan- 
tages in the meantime were limited to 
the district school. He was a mei-e boy 
at the time of his father's death, and 
when twenty-one years of age he began 
working by the month as a farm liand, 
being tlius engaged, with various farui- 
ers of the county, until 1899, when he 
initiated his independent career as an 



576 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



agriculturist by purchasing forty acres 
of land in section 27, Bethel township, 
to which he has since added thirty acres 
lying contiguous, and here he has la- 
bored indefatigably and with marked 
judgTaent in the developing of one of the 
excellent farms of this section of the 
county, all of his land being available 
for cultivation. He gives his attention 
to diversified agriculture and stock rais- 
ing, is enterprising and aggressive in his 
endeavors and has won his success 
through worthy means. He takes a loyal 
interest in all that concerns the welfare 
of the community, keeps in touch with 
matters of public polity and interest, 
and in politics is aligned as a supporter 
of the cause of legitimate Socialism. He 
is affiliated with the lodge of Independ- 
ent Order of Odd Fellows in the village 
of Plevna, and both he and his wife are 
earnest members and regular attendants 
of the Missionary Baptist church at Mt. 
Pisgah. 

On December 26, 1899, Mr. Van Osdol 
was united in marriage to Miss Florence 
Riley, daughter of Valentine and Martha 
Biley, of Florida, this county, within 
whose borders she was born and reared. 
]\Ir. and Mrs. Van Osdol have one son, 
Vance, who was l)orn on June 3, 1906. 

MORRIS OSBURN. 

One of the honored and venerable pio- 
neer citizens of the county, which has 
been his home from his boyhood days, 
is Morris Osburn, who resides on his 
finely im]-)roved homestead farm in Tay- 
lor townshi]), where he is the owner of 
200 acres, located in sections 33 and 27. 

Mr. Osburn finds a due measure of 



satisfaction in reverting to the historic 
Old Dominion as the place of his na- 
tivity, and the family was founded in 
Virginia in the colonial days, being of 
staunch English lineage. In that com- 
monwealth was born his grandfather, 
Richard Osburn, and there also was 
born his father, John Osburn, in the 
year 1803. The father was reared and 
educated in his native state and was a 
man of excellent intellectual attain- 
ments, having been a successful and 
])opular teacher in the schools of Lou- 
doun county, Virginia, at the time of his 
death, which occurred in 1833, when he 
was a young man. In 1826 he was 
united in marriage to Miss Catherine 
Van Vactor, who was born and reared 
in Jefferson county, Virginia, and who 
survived him by many years, her death 
occurring in Shelby county, Missouri, in 
1865, at which time she was about sixty- 
four years of age. Of the four children, 
the subject of this review is the only one 
now living. 

JMorris Osburn was liorn in Loudoun 
county, Virginia, on December 27, 1831, 
and in 1835 his widowed mother came 
to jMissouri and took up her abode in 
Clarion county, where .she remained un- 
til 1838, when slie established her per- 
manent home in Shelby county, having 
glassed the closing years of her life in 
Taylor township, this county. She was 
a woman of gracious and noble person- 
ality and her memory is revered by her 
only surviving child, to whose care and 
welfare she was ever devoted. Mr. Os- 
burn is indebted to the district schools 
of the jiioneer days for his early edu- 
cational discipline and was reared to 
maturity in Shelby county, which has 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



577 



continued to represent his home during 
the long intervening years. He initiated 
his independent career at the age of sev- 
enteen years, and for several years he 
was employed at farm work by various 
farmers of his home county. From 1859 
until 1862 he conducted a general store 
at Hager's Grove, and after his mar- 
riage, in 1866, he located on his present 
homestead farm, having originally pur- 
chased forty acres, to which he has since 
added until he now has a well improved 
landed estate of 200 acres, all of which 
area is available for cultivation, making 
the farmstead a model place. For many 
years Mr. Osburn bent every energy to 
the improving and developing of his 
farm, guiding his course with marked 
discrimination and judgment, and in due 
time reaping the generous reward that 
was his just due. Now venerable in 
years he relegates the practical work of 
the farm to younger hands, though he 
still finds much of satisfaction in giving 
a general supervision to the same. Ills 
character has been moulded and formed 
in the practical school of experience, and 
he has ever been kindly and generous 
in his intercourse with his fellow men, 
tolerant in his judgment and imbued 
with an impregnable integrity of pur- 
pose, so that he has naturally held the 
unequivocal confidence and esteem of 
those with whom he has come in con- 
tact in the various relations of life. He 
has been one of the world's gallant army 
of workers and none has a deeper ap- 
preciation of the value and dignity of 
honest toil and endeavor. 

Mr. Osburn is one of the honored and 
influential citizens of his township, is 
a stalwart in the local camp of the 



Democratic party, and, while never am- 
bitious for public office, he has given 
effective service as road overseer and 
school director. He and his wife are 
zealous and devout members of the 
Christian church and have been specially 
active in its work until advancing years 
have partially precluded this faithful 
and constant service. 

On April 10, 1866, was solemnized the 
marriage of Mr. Osluirn to Miss Martha 
E. Smith, who was born in Harrison 
county. West Virginia, and reared in 
Shelby county, where her parents, 
Charles L. A. and Nancy (Parr) Smith, 
settled many years ago. Of the six 
children of Mr. and IMrs. Osburn, four 
are now living, the other two having 
died in childhood. Helen F. is the wife 
of William G. Vandiver, who is a success- 
ful farmer of this county; Dewitt C. has 
the practical management of the home 
farm ; George M. likewise is a successful 
farmer of this county; and Samuel A. 
is associated in the work of the home- 
stead farm. 

GEORGE W. HALL. 

Tt is gratifying to the editors and pub- 
lishers of this history to be able to in- 
corporate within its pages a review of 
the career of this venerable and honored 
citizen of the county, which has repre- 
sented his home for more than half a 
century and been the scene of the ear- 
nest and honest endeavors that have 
gained to liiin independence and enabled 
him to enjoy gcnei'ous p(>aco and pros- 
perity as the shadows of his life ))egin 
to lengthen from the golden west. He 
has lived virtually retired on his fine 



578 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



homestead farm for more than twenty- 
five years, the same being eligibly lo- 
cated in Taylor township, and he is here 
surrounded by a circle of loyal friends, 
being one of the well known and highly 
honored residents of this section of the 
county and commanding the high regard 
of all who know him. 

Mr. Hall is a native of the state of 
Maryland, having been born in Worces- 
ter county on February 7, 1829. His 
father, James Hall, was born in the same 
county and passed his entire life in 
Maryland, where his active career was 
one of active identification with agri- 
cultural pursuits. He died in 1832, while 
still a young man, having been married 
in 1828 to Miss Louisa Grey, who was 
likewise born and reared in Maryland, 
where the respective families were early 
founded, and of the two children the 
subject of this sketch is the survivor, 
his brother, Thomas P., having died at 
the age of about fourteen years. A 
number of years after the death of her 
first husband, Mrs. Hall became the wife 
of "William Webb, with whom she came 
to Missouri in the year 1835. They lo- 
cated in Marion county, whence they 
later removed to j\lonroe county, and 
both Mr. and Mrs. Webb passed the 
closing years of their lives in Shelby 
county, where her death occurred on 
March 3, 1891. Of the children of the 
second marriage, two are now living, 
Jacob and Elizabeth (now Mrs. Brew- 
ington), both of Shelby county. 

George William Hall, the immediate 
sul)ject of this review, was about six 
years of age at the time of the family 
removal to Missouri, and his early edu- 
cational advantages Avere most meager, 



being limited to a very irregular and 
brief attendance in the pioneer schools 
of Monroe and Scotland counties, this 
state, where he did not even become fa- 
miliar with what were designated in the 
early days as the "Three E's," inter- 
preted as "Reading, 'Riting and 'Rith- 
metie." Through the valuable lessons 
gained under the wise headmaster, ex- 
perience, he later supplemented his lim- 
ited early training, becoming a man of 
mature judgment, much business acu- 
m en an d wide general information. 
When eleven years of age he went to 
live with his uncle, Jacob Grey, a farmer 
in Scotland county, and there he worked 
on the farm and in a blacksmith shop 
for the mere recompense of a home. He 
continued thus engaged until 1847, when, 
at the age of eighteen years, he began 
working by the month in Shelby county, 
devoting himself to farm labor in this 
way until 1819, when he married and ini- 
tiated his independent career by rent- 
ing land, ui)on which he farmed until 
the following year, when he i)urchased 
a tract of practically unimproved land 
near the village of Clarence, this county. 
A few years later he sold this property 
and purchased 110 acres in Salt River 
township, where he was engaged in 
farming until the close of the Civil war, 
having also operated a saw mill on Black 
creek. In ISHf) he sold his farm and re- 
moved to the village of Clarence, this 
county, where he conducted a black- 
smith shop until 1873, having built up 
a successful business. He then sold the 
shop and purchased 160 acres of his 
present homestead, in Taylor townslii)), 
where he has since maintained his home 
and where he continued activelv identi- 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



579 



lied with the work of the phioe until 
1882, since which time he has lived vir- 
tually retired. He has developed his 
land into one of the valuable farms of 
the county, and the area of the same is 
now 270 acres. Soon after locating here 
he established on his farm, contiguous 
to the village of Leonard, a Ijlaeksmitli 
shop, which he conducted until his re- 
tirement from active labors, and of 
which he is still the owner. 

Mr. Hall has been one of the progres- 
sive and loyal citizens of the county and 
has never failed in his duties as a citi- 
zen. He is a staunch supporter of the 
cause of the Democratic party, but the 
only office in which he has consented to 
serve is that of school trustee, of which 
he was incumbent for several years. His 
integrity of jsurpose has never been 
questioned, and his unassuming sincer- 
ity and honor have gained him the es- 
teem and good will of all with whom he 
has come in contact. 

On June 28, 1849, Mr. Hall was united 
in marriage to Miss Lovey Brewington, 
who was born and reared in Shelby 
county, where her father, Henry Brew- 
ington, was an early settler. Of the ten 
children of this union, six are living, 
and concerning them the following brief 
record is entered: James H. is engaged 
in the farming and blacksmithing busi- 
ness in the village of Leonard; Thomas 
B. is now a resident of the state of 
Idaho ; Joseph N. resides in Baker City, 
Oregon ; William P. is a physician of 
Macon county, Missouri ; Martha S. is 
the wife of Edward Hines, of Shelby- 
ville, this county; and George M. is iden- 
tified with agricultural pursuits in Brit- 
ish Columbia. His first wife died June 



17, 1899. He was married to his pres- 
ent wife in June, 1910, her name being 
Mary Willis, widow of Finius Willis. 
Her maiden name was Mary Breeding. 
She was born in Randolph county, Mis- 
souri. She died iu December, 1910. 

WILLIAM L. GILLASPY. 

In the attractive little viUage of Leon- 
ard Mr. Gillaspy is living virtually re- 
tired from active liusiness, after having 
contributed his quota of service as one 
of the world's workers. He is a native 
son of the coimty and a member of one 
of its honored pioneer families, and the 
original progenitor in America settled 
in Virginia in the colonial epoch of our 
national history. There was born James 
Alexander Gillaspy, father of him whose 
name initiates this sketch, and this 
worthy man left the Old Dominion to 
become a pioneer of Kentucky, whence 
came the original representatives of the 
name in Missouri. 

William L. Gillaspy was born in Tay- 
lor township, Shelby county, Missouri, 
on October 6, 1840, and is a son of Louis 
H. and Lucinda (Mani;el) Gillaspy, both 
natives of Kentucky, where the former 
was born on July 5, 1806, and the latter 
on April 23, 1804. Their marriage was 
solemnized on January 1, 1835. In 1830 
Louis H. Gillaspy had come from his 
native state to Missouri, first settling 
in Marion county, where he remained 
until his marriage, soon after which he 
came to Shelby county and secured 160 
acres of government land, upon which a 
portion of the present city of Shelby- 
ville is located. He reclaimed a portion 
of the tract to cultivation and there con- 



580 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



tinued to reside until 1838, when lie sold 
the property and removed to Taylor 
township, where he eventually became 
the owner of a fine lauded estate of 320 
acres. He gained precedence as one of 
the successful farmers and stock-growers 
and influential citizens of this section of 
the country, where he ever commanded 
uniform confidence and esteem, and he 
continued to reside on the old homestead 
until his death, in 1890, at the venerable 
age of eighty-four years. He was a 
staunch Democrat in his political pro- 
clivities and both he and his wife were 
luembers of the Christian church. Mrs. 
Gillaspy was summoned to the life eter- 
nal in 1890 at the age of eighty-six years. 
All of the three children are living, the 
subject of this review being the youngest 
of the number. Sarah C. is the wife of 
Samuel P. Gaines, of Leonard, this 
county; and John A. is likewise a resi- 
dent of this county, where he has at- 
tained marked success in connection with 
agricultural pursuits. 

William L. GiUaspy was reared to ma- 
turity on the old homestead farm in Tay- 
lor township and his early educational 
advantages were those afforded in the 
pioneer schools of the locality. He con- 
tinued to attend school at intervals until 
he had attained to the age of nineteen 
years, and tlius he laid effective foun- 
dation for the large fund of practical 
knowledge which he later gained in the 
school of ex]ierience. He continued to 
be associated in the work and manage- 
ment of the home farm until 1860, when 
he purchased from his father a tract of 
eighty acres in section 24, that township, 
where he continued to be actively and 
successfully engaged in general farming 



and stock-growing until 1886, when he 
sold the farm and removed to the village 
of Leonard, where he has since lived a 
retired life, having an attractive home 
and here enjoying the generous rewards 
of past endeavors. He developed his 
land into one of the valuable farms of 
the county and through its operation and 
the final sale of the property he has real- 
ized a competency. Mr. Gillaspy is one 
of the substantial and highly esteemed 
citizens of his native county, sincere, 
honorable and of generous and kindly 
nature, so that he has won and retained 
a wide circle of friends in the community 
that has represented his home from the 
time of his nativity to the present. He 
is a staunch supporter of the cause of 
the Democratic party, has shown a loyal 
interest in all that has touched the gen- 
eral welfare, and has served as constable 
and also as school director. Both he 
and his wife hold membership in the 
Christian church. 

On August 29, 1860, Mr. Gillaspy was 
united in marriage to Miss Mary Ann 
Davis, who was born in Snowhill, Mary- 
land, on July 10, 1840. being a daughter 
of James and Eliza Davis, who took up 
their residence in Shelby county, Mis- 
souri, when she was a child. Mr. and 
Mrs. Gillaspy became the parents of ten 
children, and the family circle remains 
still unbroken. Concerning the chiLlren 
the following brief record is given, in 
conclusion of this sketch of the career 
of one of the county's sterling citizens: 
Edwin E. is a resident of the city of 
Hannibal, this state; James L. is a suc- 
cessful farmer in Taylor township, as 
is also Eichard W. ; James P. is engaged 
in the same line of enterprise in Clay 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



581 



township; Effie M. is the wife of Robert 
S. Magruder, of Clarence, this county; 
Anna L. is the wife of John Kyle, of 
Rush county, Kansas; Callie B. is the 
wife of William Pepper, of Ranchester, 
Wyoming; George C. is a representative 
farmer of Taylor township; William N. 
is a resident of La Crosse, Kansas ; and 
Fannie remains at the parental home. 

JACOB H. SINGLETON. 

It is gratifying to be able to present 
in this historical compilation record con- 
cerning so large a percentage of the es- 
sentially representative farmers who are 
ably aiding in upholding the industrial 
prestige of the county, and among this 
number is he whose name introduces this 
paragraph. Mr. Singleton is the owner 
of a well improved farm in Taylor town- 
ship, is a citizen to whom is accorded 
unqualified pojiular esteem, and is a na- 
tive son of the township in which he now 
maintains his home. He is a brother of 
Judge Adolphus E. Singleton, of whom 
individual mention is made on other 
pages of this volmue, so that detailed 
review of the family history is not de- 
manded in this article. 

Jacob H. Singleton was born in Tay- 
lor township, this county, on October 8, 
1857, and is a son of William and Susan 
(Vandiver) Singleton, both natives of 
Virginia, where the former was born in 
1817 and the latter in 1824. The pater- 
nal grandfather, Myron Singleton, was 
likewise a native of the Old Dominion, 
in which was cradled so much of our 
national history, and there the family 
was founded in the colonial epoch. Will- 
iam Singleton was reared to maturity in 



his native state and came to Missouri in 
the pioneer days, first locating in Marion 
county, whence he soon afterward re- 
moved to Shelby county, becoming one 
of the pioneers of Taylor township, 
where he secured 200 acres of govern- 
ment land, which he eventually re- 
claimed, developing a productive farm 
and becoming one of the honored and 
substantial citizens of the county. He 
continued to be actively identified with 
the great basic industries of farming 
and stock-raising throughout his entire 
business career, save for one year passed 
in the village of Clarence, this county, 
and he was summoned to "that imdis- 
covered country from whose bourne no 
traveler returns" in the year 1894. He 
was a loyal supporter of the cause of the 
Democratic party and both he and his 
wife, who is still living, became known as 
zealous members of the M. E. church, 
South. Of their eight children five are 
now living, namely: Benjamin H., a 
resident of Shelbyville ; Judge Adolphus 
E., of the same city; Jacob H., subject of 
this sketch; and Ella and Cary, who re- 
main with their widowed mother on the 
old homestead. 

Jacob H. Singleton was reared to the 
sturdy discipline of the home farm and 
the district schools afforded him his 
early educational advantages. He con- 
tinued at the parental home, assisting 
in tlie work and management of the farm, 
until 1886, when he ]mrchased seventy 
acres of land in section 33, Taylor town- 
ship, where he continued oi)erations as 
a thrifty and progressive farmer and 
stock-grower, having added to the area 
of his original tract until he now has a 
well improved farm of 134 acres, all of 



582 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



which is available for cultivation. He 
is a Democrat in his political allegiance, 
takes a loyal interest in public affairs of 
a local order, was incumbent of the office 
of school director of his district, is affil- 
iated with the Modern Woodmen of 
America, and both he and his wife are 
zealous members of the Christian church 
at Leonard. 

On October 3, 1886, was solemnized 
the marriage of Mr. Singleton to Miss 
Vassie McDaniel, who was born in this 
county, being a daughter of Cornelius 
and Susan McDaniel and a member of 
one of the old and honored families of 
this section of the state. Mr. and Mrs. 
Singleton became the parents of eight 
children, and the four living children all 
remain at the parental home, namely: 
Leila, Clark V., Guy and Vance, who are 
popular young folk of this part of the 
county. 

ALEXANDER BURNETT. 

One of the most successful and enter- 
prising farmers of the jJresent day and 
having made his own way to his present 
consequence and standing in the estima- 
tion of the people, Alexander Burnett, of 
Black Creek township, Shelby county, 
has richly earned his prosperity in 
worldly wealth and shown himself to be 
a man of great energj' and resourceful- 
ness, warmly interested in the welfare of 
the people of his township and county, 
and at all times ready to exert himself 
wisely and effectively in their behalf. His 
devotion to the interests of the region in 
which he lives has won him the universal 
confidoiioo and esteem of its inhabitants 
and given him a strong hold on public 
regard in other parts of the state. 



Mr. Burnett was born in Sauk county, 
"Wisconsin, on July 10, 1855. He is the 
oldest son and second child of his par- 
ents, Thomas and Isabella (Osborn) 
Burnett, the former a native of Scotland, 
where his parents were also born and the 
families were domesticated many years. 
The father was bom in 1824 and came to 
the United States with his parents in 
1838. During the next seven years the 
family lived in the city of New York, but 
in 1845 moved to Wisconsin, and in 1858 
moved to Iowa, and there the father was 
actively engaged in general farming un- 
til his death, which occurred on October 
11, 1887. His marriage took place in 
1851, and by it he became the father of 
seven children, all of whom are living. 
They are: Mary, the wife of Gilbert 
Palmer, of Aledo, Illinois; Alexander, 
the subject of this re\new; Malissa, the 
wife of John Brown, of Des Moines, 
Iowa ; Robert, Grant and Thomas, all of 
whom live in Iowa; and Zachariah, who 
is a resident of Jacksonville, Missouri. 
The father was a Republican in politics 
and a Baptist in church affiliation. The 
mother was a native of Indiana. She 
died in Iowa in May, 1898. 

Their son Alexander grew to manhood 
on his father's farm in Iowa and ob- 
tained his education in the coimtry 
schools and the high school at Bonaparte, 
in that state. For two years after leav- 
ing school he clerked in a dry goods store 
in Des Moines, then passed one year 
working again with his father on the 
farm. At the end of that period he moved 
to Shelby county, Missouri, and during 
the next three years worked for Alonzo 
Cooper. His next step in business was 
general merchandising, which he fol- 




ALEXANDER BURNETT 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



583 



lowed for two years. Since then he has 
been continuously and very progres- 
sively engaged in general farming and 
raising stock on a steadily increasing 
scale of magnitude and profit. He now 
owns and cultivates 800 acres and has a 
live stock industry in proportion, all of 
which he has accnmulated by his own 
euerg^^, thrift and wise management, 
having become one of the leading and 
most successful farmers and stock men 
in this part of the state. 

Mr. Burnett was united in marriage 
with Miss Eliza B. Hopper on November 
20, 1879. She is a daughter of Solomon 
and Eliza (Graham) Hopper, well known 
residents of Shelby county. Five chil- 
dren have been born of the union, three 
of whom are living — David E., one of the 
prosperous and influential citizens of 
this county, and Martin and Mabel, who 
are still living at home with their par- 
ents. The father's political affiliation is 
with the Democratic party and his fra- 
ternal connections are with the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows and the 
Modern Woodmen of America. Mrs. 
Burnett belongs to the M. E. Church, 
South. Mr. Burnett is a gentleman of 
sterling integrity and universally re- 
garded as one of the most estimable, in- 
fluential and commendable men in the 
county, numbering his friends by the 
host and performing every duty of citi- 
zenship with fidelity, intelligence and 
great breadth of view. 

CHRISTIAN P. GLAHN. 

The honored subject of this memoir 
was long numbered among the repre- 
sentative exponents of the great basic 



industry of agriculture in Shelby county, 
having been the owner of a finely im- 
proved homestead farm in Black Creek 
township, and having ever commanded 
the high regard of the people of the 
commimity in which he so long lived and 
labored to goodly ends, — an honest, up- 
right, unassuming gentleman, a devoted 
husband and father, and a man to whom 
friendship was ever inviolable. He left 
the heritage of a good name and it is 
most consonant that in this history be 
incorporated and perpetuated a tribute 
to his memory as one of the worthy citi- 
zens of the county. He was summoned 
to the life eternal on April 24, 1906, se- 
cure in the esteem and respect of all with 
whom he had come in contact in the 
varied relations of life. 

Christian P. Glahn was born in Prus- 
sia, on January 17, 1839, and was a son 
of Christian and Mary A. (Wand) Glahn, 
the foi-mer of whom was born in Prussia 
and the latter in Germany. The jiarents 
severed the ties that bound them to their 
fatherland and immigrated to America 
in 1842, making Missouri their destina- 
tion and first settling near Palmyra, 
Marion county, where the father bought 
a farm, the work of which was princi- 
pally done by his sons. He himself was 
a wagon maker by trade, being a skilled 
artisan in this line, and he followed his 
trade in the village of Palmyra until 
1865, when he removed with his family 
to Shelby county and purchased a small 
farm in Black Creek township, gradually 
adding to its area as his financial cir- 
cumstances justified, until he became the 
owner of a valuable landed estate of 400 
acres, in the vicinity of Hager's Grove. 
He continued to be identified with agri- 



584 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



cultural pursuits on this place until his 
death, which occurred in 1889, his wife 
surviving him by several years and both 
having been held in high regard as folk 
of sterling worth of character. They 
became the parents of thirteen children, 
of whom five are living: Henry F., a 
farmer of Shelby county; August, re- 
siding at Los Angeles, California; Jo- 
seph, twin of August, engaged in farm- 
ing in California ; Benjamin L., a resi- 
dent of Clarence, Shelby county; and 
Catherine, wife of Irving Lathrop, of 
Joplin, Missouri. 

Christian P. Glalm, the subject of this 
memoir, was about four years of age at 
the time of the family immigration to 
America, and he passed the days of his 
boyhood and youth in Marion county, 
this state, where he was reared on and 
assisted in the work of the home farm 
and where his ediicational training, very 
limited in scope, was secured in the dis- 
trict schools of the pioneer days. In 
1865 he came to Shelby county with the 
other members of the family and soon 
afterward he purchased 128 acres of 
land in section G, Black Creek township, 
two miles south of the village of Leonard, 
where he developed a productive farm, 
making excellent improvements on the 
same, and where he continued to be 
known as a thrifty and successful farmer 
and stock-grower until the close of his 
life, on April 24, 1!)06. As his success 
became cuiuuhitive lie made judicioiis in- 
vestments in additional land, and at the 
time of his demise he was the owner of 
a valuable estate of 873 acres, which is 
still in possession of the family and 
which constitutes one of the model farm 
properties of this section of the state. 



Mr. Glahn never sought public offie«, but 
his influence and co-operation were de- 
manded by his appreciative neighbors, 
who called upon him to serve as road 
overseer and as school director. Tie was 
essentially loyal and public-spirited as 
a citizen and did all in his power to fur- 
ther the material and civic prosperity 
of the county in which he so long main- 
tained his home and in which he was not 
denied the most generous measure of 
poi)ular confidence and regard, based 
upon his intrinsic integrity and honor 
and his kindliness in his relations with 
his fellow men. He gave a staunch alle- 
giance to the cause of the Eepublican 
party, and was a zealous and devoted 
member of the Christian church, with 
which his wife also has long been identi- 
fied, having taken an active part in its 
work imtil the infirmities of advancing 
years compelled her to relax somewhat 
her earnest efforts in this respect. Since 
the death of her honored husband Mrs. 
Glahn has remained on the old home- 
stead, endeared to her through the gra- 
cious associations and memories of the 
past, and the fine farm has its practical 
management assigned to her worthy 
sons, who are numbered among the rep- 
resentative citizens of this part of the 
county, where they are well upholding 
the prestige of the honored name which 
they bear. 

On February 22, 1870, Mr. Glahn gave 
wortliy observation of the anniversary 
of the birth of George Washington by 
taking unto himself a wife, in the person 
of Miss Mary Arnett, who was born in 
Shelby county, on Septem])er 11, 1852, 
and who is a daughter of the late ^lica- 
jah and Judith (Green) Arnett. wlio 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



585 



were early settlers of this county, the 
father having been a native of Kentucky 
and the mother of Virgina. As already 
stated, Mrs. Glalm survives her honored 
husband, as do also eleven of their chil- 
dren. Concerning the children the fol- 
lowing brief record is given as a fitting 
conclusion of this brief memoir: Ben- 
jamin F. is engaged in the practice of 
law in the village of Palmyra, Marion 
county; Fannie is tlie wife of Robert 
Ray, a farmer of this county; Christian 
P. is engaged in the practice of medicine 
at Palmyra; Charles E., James 0. and 
Ernest are associated in the manage- 
ment of the home farm ; Mary is the wife 
of Stephen A. Bryant, of Cleveland, 
Oklahoma; and Alma, Ethel, Milton and 
Gertrude remain with their mother on 
the old homestead. 

JOHN PEOPLES. 

This venerable and honored citizen, 
who resided on his fine homestead farm 
in section 29, Taylor township, was a 
resident of Shelby county from his child- 
hood days and was a member of one of 
its sterling pioneer families, of which 
detailed mention is made in the sketch 
of the career of his brother, William Z. 
T. Peoples, on other pages of this work, 
so that a repetition of the data is not 
demanded in the present connection. 
Mr. Peoples lived retired for a number 
of years, after having devoted a long 
period to the great basic industry of 
agriculture, in connection with which he 
gained definite success and prosperity, 
as is attested by his ownership of the 
valuable homestead on which lie resided 
until his death on January 11, 1911. 



John Peoples was a native of Sullivan 
county, Tennessee, where he was born 
on September 6, 1833, and he was a child 
of about six years at the time of the fam- 
ily removal to Missouri, his parents first 
settling in Marion county, whence they 
removed to Shelby county about one year 
later. Here he was reared to maturity 
under the invigorating and somewhat 
strenuous discipline of the pioneer farm, 
in Taylor township, in whose primitive 
schools he gained his limited educational 
training. He often recalled the scenes, 
conditions and incidents of the days 
when this section was practically a wil- 
derness, and he assisted in the breaking 
of many acres of the fine prairie land, in 
which connection he contributed mate- 
rially to the development of the county 
in which he continued to maintain his 
home through the long intervening years, 
marked by the upbuilding of one of the 
most prosperous and attractive sections 
of the state. In 1861 Mr. Peoples ini- 
tiated his independent career as a farmer 
and stock-grower, and in this line of en- 
terprise he labored earnestly and effec- 
tively, so that he was not denied a due 
recompense. He lived virtually retired 
since 1885, and his homestead farm, 
e(|uii)ped with sulistantial improvements 
and under effective cultivation, com- 
]5rises 183 acres, which he disposed of in 
1909. 

Mr. Peoples gave his support to the 
enterprises and objects that have con- 
served industrial and civic progress, and 
his influence in the couunnnity was ever 
on the right side, as lie was a man of 
inflexible integrity and honor, of mature 
judgment and of strong mentality. In 
])olitics he was aligned as a staunch ad- 



586 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



vocate of the principles and policies of 
the Democratic party. He held member- 
ship in the Grange, and was a zealous 
member of the Christian church at Leon- 
ard, in which he had been an elder for 
many years. At the time of the Civil 
war he served about six months in the 
state militia. 

In 1860 was solemnized the marriage 
of Mr. Peoples to Miss Minerva Patton, 
who was bom in Kentucky, from whence 
her parents came to Missouri when she 
was a child. She died in 1865, and of 
her two children one is living, Eldridge, 
who is a successful farmer of Custer 
county, Nebraska. In 1868 Mr. Peoples 
contracted a second marriage, being then 
united to IMiss Amanda Fink, who was 
born in Shelby county, where her father, 
the late John Fink, was an early settler. 
Of the seven children of this union four 
are now living: William, a resident of 
Shelbyville; Christine, wife of George 
Jarrell, of tliis county; Laura, wife of 
Louis Perry, of Shelby county; and 
John, who is identified with agricultural 
pursuits in this county. The mother of 
these children died August 6, 1881. 

BENJAMIN F. VAN VACTER. 

This well known and highly esteemed 
business man and influential citizen of 
the village of Leonard, where he is en- 
gaged in the real estate business, is a 
native of Shelby county and a scion of 
one of its sterling pioneer families, as 
his father, Benjamin Van Vacter, here 
took up his abode more than eighty years 
ago, having settled in Taylor township 
when this section was a veritable wilder- 
ness, wild game being plentiful and pro- 



viding much for the larders of the sturdy 
pioneers, whose slumbers were often in- 
terrupted by the howls of the predatory 
wolves. The subject of this sketch re- 
calls many of the scenes and conditions 
of the pioneer epoch, and he has not only 
witnessed but has also assisted in the 
development of this county into one of 
the most attractive and prosperous in 
the great state of Missouri. 

Mr. Van Vacter was born on the old 
homestead of his father, in Taylor town- 
ship, this county, one mile east of the 
l)resent village of Leonard, February 5, 
1846. His father was born in Jefferson 
county, Virginia, of staunch Holland 
Dutch ancestry, in the year 1797, and he 
was reared to maturity in the historic 
Old Dominion state, where he continued 
to reside and where he followed agricul- 
tural pursuits until 1837, when he set 
forth for the wilds of the far West, 
as Missouri was then considered on the 
very frontier. Soon after his arrival 
in this state he came to Shelby count}', 
which at that time had very few settlers, 
and here he entered claim to 400 acres of 
govei-nment land, the entire tract being 
in a state of primitive wildness. He 
here set himself vigorously to the stren- 
uous work of reclaiming his land to culti- 
vation and in due time he developed one 
of the productive farms of the county, 
continuing to reside on his homestead, 
one mile east of Leonard, until his death, 
which occurred in February, 1866. He 
was one of the honored and influential 
citizens of this section of the country, 
honest and straightforward in all the re- 
lations of life, industrious and energetic, 
and possessed of strong mentality and 
individuality, so that he was not denied 



HISTORY OF SHELTiY COUNTY 



587 



the confidence and good will of the com- 
munity in whose upbuilding he so ably 
assisted. He was a staunch adherent of 
the Democratic party and both he and 
his wife were zealous members of the 
Christian church, having been organizers 
of the church of this denomination in 
Leonard and ha^'ing contributed liber- 
ally to its support. In 1840 was sol- 
emnized the marriage of Benjamin Van 
Vacter to Miss Anna Smith, who was 
born in Ireland, and whose death oc- 
curred about 1901. They became the 
parents of five children, and the three 
sur\nving all continue their residence in 
Shelby county, namely : Joseph H., Ben- 
jamin F. and Robert 0. 

Benjamin Franklin Van Vacter, to 
whom this brief sketch is dedicated, was 
reared on the pioneer farm, to who.se 
work he early began to contribute his 
quota of aid, and he continued to attend 
the district schools in Taylor township, 
at varying intervals, during the days of 
his boyhood and youth, laying in these 
primitive institutions the foundations 
for the broad and practical knowledge he 
has since gained under the direction of 
that wisest of head-masters, experience. 
He continued to be associated in the 
work and management of the home farm 
until the death of his honored father, 
after which he engaged in farming and 
stock-growing on his own responsibility 
on a farm of 120 acres deeded to him by 
his father at the time of death. This 
homestead, in section 20, Taylor town- 
ship, continued to be his place of abode 
and the scene of his enteiTorising and suc- 
cessful endeavors as a general agricul- 
turist and stock-grower until 1884, when 
he sold the property and removed to the 



village of Leonard, where he entered 
into partnership with Theodore P. Man- 
uel and engaged in the general merchan- 
dise business, under the finn name of 
Van Vacter & Manuel. About four years 
later he sold his interest in this enter- 
prise to his partner, and since that time 
he has given his attention ^principally +o 
the dealing in real estate in the state of 
Kansas, in which connection his opera- 
tions have been of no inconsiderable 
scope and importance, and have been a 
source of distinctive profit to him. He 
is one of the siibstantial citizens and 
business men of his native county, was 
one of the organizers and incorporators 
of the Farmers' Bank, of Leonard, in 
which he is still a stocldiolder and of 
which he served as vice-president for a 
short period. In politics he is a staimch 
adherent of the Democratic party, and 
in earlier years he was a zealous and 
effective worker in its local ranks. He 
is a member of the Christian church and 
is active in the support of the various 
departments of its work. Mr. Van Vac- 
ter takes a loyal interest in all that tends 
to advance the material and civic pros- 
perity of his native county, and measures 
and enterprises of a public order receive 
his earnest support. 

> 

LUTHER KFMP. 

This well known citizen of Taylor 
township is the owner of a fine farm of 
220 acres and is contributing his quota 
to upholding the prestige of the great 
industry of agriculture in Shelby coimty. 
He has been a resident of Shelby county 
since his boyhood days, and in the sec- 
tion in which he was reared and is best 



588 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



known he enjoys the most unqualified 
popularity and esteem, showing that he 
has directed his course in such a way 
as to merit this pleasing recognition. 

Luther Kemp claims the staunch old 
Hoosier commonwealth as the place of 
his nativity, as he was horn in Dubois 
county, Indiana, on June 21, 1869, being 
a representative of one of the pioneer 
families of that state, as his grand- 
father, William F. Kemp, was an early 
settler in the county mentioned, having 
there been engaged in agricultural pur- 
suits imtil his death. In the same county 
also was born James L. Kemp, father 
of him whose name initiates this article, 
the date of his nativity having been 
1846. The father was reared to man- 
hood in Indiana, was there married and 
there continued to devote his attention 
to farming until 1874, when he removed 
with his family to ^lissouri and settled 
in Clay township, Shelby county, where 
he purchased a farm of eighty acres, to 
whose area he later added until he had 
a total of 138 acres. He made excellent 
improvements on his farm, and there 
continued to be successfully engaged in 
the carrying on of diversified agricul- 
ture and tlie raising of live stock until 
his death, which occurred in the year 
1882. In politics he gave his support to 
the cause of the Republican party and 
he was a loyal and upright citizen, com- 
manding the respect of all who knew 
him. In 1868 he was united in marriage 
to Miss Caroline Griffith, who was born 
in Ohio, and of their five children, two 
are li\nng, the subject of this sketch 
being the elder, and AVilliam G., also 
being a prosperous farmer of Shelby 
county. 



Luther Kemp was five years of age 
at the time of the family removal from 
Indiana to Shelby county, Missouri, and 
here he was reared to manhood under 
the invigorating influences and labors of 
the home farm, while his educational 
opportunities were limited to a some- 
what desultory attendance in the district 
schools, which he attended at intervals 
until he was sixteen years of age. He 
was but thirteen years old at the time 
of his father's death, and after leaving 
school he found emplojTnent on neigh- 
boring farms until 1888, after which he 
rented land and engaged in farming on 
his own responsibility for three years. 
Thereafter he was again employed by 
others until 1893, and in the meanwhile 
he was frugal and industrious, saving 
his earnings and formulating his plans 
for a future of independence in connec- 
tion with the branch of industrial enter- 
prise in which he had been trained. In 
the year last mentioned Mr. Kemp pur- 
chased fifty-three acres of land in sec- 
tion 26, Taylor township, and he has 
since added to the area of his holdings 
until he now has a well improved farm 
of 220 acres, reiu'esenting the tangible 
results of his careful and well directed 
endeavors. He is one of the substantial 
and successful farmers and stock-grow- 
ers of the county, is appreciative of the 
many opportunities here afforded in his 
chosen field of endeavor, and is essen- 
tially loyal and progressive as a citizen. 
His success is most gratifying to con- 
template from the fact that it has been 
gained through his own exertions and 
ability, and he well merits his prosper- 
ity, as does he also the esteem in which 
he is held by those most familiar with 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



589 



his life and labors. He is a stockholder 
and director of the Farmers' Bank of 
Leonard, is a Republican in his political 
allegiance, has never been a seeker of 
official preferment, though he has served 
efficiently as school director of his dis- 
trict, and he is affiliated with Cherry 
Box Lodge of the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows. He is liberal in his 
support of the work of the Methodist 
Episcopal church, of which his wife is 
an earnest member. 

On January 31, 1893, Mr. Kemp was 
united in marriage to Miss Martha Ham- 
rick, wlio was born and reared in this 
county, being a daugliter of William F. 
and Martha J. Hamrick. Mr. and Mrs. 
Kemp became the parents of eight chil- 
dren, all of whom are living, namely: 
Olin, Vincent, Freda, Ruth, Theodore, 
Elsie J., Richard and James. 

FORREST G. BODWELL. 

Dependent largely upon his own re- 
sources since his boyhood days, it has 
been given Mr. Bodwell to achieve a suc- 
cess of no stinted order and one that 
stands creditable to him as one of the 
most earnest and indefatigable workers 
of the world. He has been a resident 
of Taylor township for more than forty 
years, in fact since his boyhood days, 
and here, beginning with no financial 
reinforcement or fortuitous influence, he 
has directed his labors with such dis- 
crimination and ability that he is now 
numbered among the substantial agri- 
culturists and stock-growers of the 
county, being the owner of a well im- 
proved farm of 240 acres — a paljjable 
evidence of his success and independ- 



ence. He has not, however, hedged him- 
self in with the confines of mere per- 
sonal advancement but has stood ex- 
ponent of loyal and liberal citizenship, 
has guided his course along the lines of 
strictest integrity and honor, and thus 
has merited the staunch hold which he 
maintains upon popular confidence and 
esteem. 

Mr. Bodwell is a scion of families 
founded in New England in the colonial 
epoch of our national history, and is 
himself a native of the old Bay state, 
having been born at Haverhill, j\Iassa- 
chusetts, on February 9, 1851, and be- 
ing a son of Aaron G. and Lucy (Howe) 
Bodwell, whose marriage was solem- 
nized in the year 1843. His father was 
born in Massachusetts, on August 7, 
1818, and his mother was a native of 
New Hampshire, where she was born on 
April 9, 1818. The father, who was a 
shoemaker by trade, came with his fam- 
ily to Missouri in 1854, settling in Lewis 
county, where he continued in the work 
of his trade until his death, which oc- 
curred in 1859. Of his four children, 
the subject of this sketch is now the only 
survivor. In 1861 the widowed mother 
became the wife of James W. Jeffries, 
and they took up their residence in 
Shelby county, where Mr. Jeffries was 
engaged in farming until his death. 
Mrs. Jeffries is still living, having 
reached the ripe old age of ninety-three 
years. 

Forrest (i. Bodwell was about three 
years of age at the time of the family 
removal to Missouri, and was only eight 
years old at the time of his father's 
death. He came to his ste})father's 
farm in Marion county in 1861, just 



590 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



after his mother's second marriage, and 
here he was reared to the sturdy disci- 
pline of the farm, in the meanwhile se- 
curing such educational advantages as 
were afforded in the district school, col- 
loquially and facetiously known as 
"Grub College," in Taylor township, 
the family having removed to Shelby 
county in 1866. He continued to attend 
this school at intermittent intervals un- 
til he was about twenty years of age, 
and in the meanwhile he continued to 
assist in the work of the home farm until 
1881, when he purchased forty acres of 
his present homestead, in section 27, 
Taylor township. As success attended 
his indefatigable efforts he made judi- 
cious investments in adjoining land, un- 
til he now has a fine faim of 240 acres, 
the major portion of which is under cul- 
tivation, while everything about the 
place bears evidence of thrift and pros- 
perity. He has given his undivided at- 
tention to the management of his farm- 
ing interests and, starting with nothing, 
is now one of the leading agriculturists 
and stock-raisers of this section. His 
career has been marked bj^ hard and 
persistent work and he has a full and 
practical appreciation of the value and 
dignity of honest toil and endeavor. In 
politics Mr. Bodwell is enlisted under 
the banner of the Democratic party, in 
whose cause he takes a lively and intel- 
ligent interest, and in jjublic affairs of 
a local order he gives his aid and in- 
fluence in the support of all measures 
projected for the general good of the 
community. He is affiliated with the In- 
dependent Order of Odd Fellows, has 
served for several years past as clerk 
of the school lionrd of his district, and 



he contributes in liberal measure to the 
work of the Christian church, of which 
his wife is a zealous member. 

On November 15, 1877, Mr. Bodwell 
was united in marriage to Miss Mary 
E. Evans, who was born and reared in 
this county and who is a daughter of 
Eleazer and Melinda (Walker) Evans, 
both of whom are now deceased. Mr. 
and Mrs. Bodwell became the parents 
of nine children, all of whom are living 
except one, James, who died at the age 
of two weeks. Elizabeth L. is the wife 
of John B. Alexander, of Macon county ; 
Samuel G. is a successful farmer of 
Shelby county; Lula G. is the wife of 
Chester Gillaspy, of this county; and 
Ruby, Rose, Marj^ C, Florida and 
George remain at the parental home. 

JOHN A. CHRISTINE. 

John A. Christine, of Salt River town- 
ship, one of the most extensive and prom- 
iuet farmers of Shelby county, has dem- 
onstrated in his long career of fifty-four 
years of usefulness among the people 
here that his mettle is of the firmest 
fiber, his manhood of the most vigorous 
kind and his self-reliance and capacity 
are of a character that A-ields to no diffi- 
culty, is daunted by no danger and dis- 
turbed by no disaster. He has met every 
requirement of every situation in which 
he has found himself in a masterful way, 
performed every duty properly belong- 
ing to him with fidelity and recognized 
every claim of elevated citizenship with 
entire devotion to his county, his state 
and liis coimtry. 

Mr. Christine, a native of Shelby 
comity, l)orn on January 26, 1857, ob- 



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HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



591 



tained his education in the country 
schools and a graded school in Shelbina, 
and has passed the whole of his life to 
the present time on his native soil. He 
is therefore thoroughly imbued with the 
spirit of this people and in deep and ser- 
viceable accord with their every worthy 
asi^iration. He has aided in the promo- 
tion of all commendable undertakings 
among them for their progress and im- 
provement, and has helped to lead them 
along lines of wise development while 
aiding them in their progress. It is, con- 
sequently, an entirely logical result that 
he is highly esteemed on all sides as one 
of the most useful and representative 
men. in the county. 

Wliile he is a native Missourian, his 
father, John Joseph Christine, was born 
and reared to the age of fourteen and 
one-half years in Germany. At that age 
he came alone to the United States, with- 
out relative or friend on the vessel that 
brought him across the Atlantic, or any 
acquaintance in the long journey across 
the continent that brought him to Walk- 
ersville, in this county, before he reached 
the age of twenty-one. His life began in 
1829 and ended tragically in 1862 in the 
massacre of Centralia, where he was in 
the service of the government as a Union 
soldier. His whole activity during his 
life in this country was devoted to farm- 
ing and raising live stock, except the 
time passed by him in the army. 

In 18-56 he was united in marriage 
with Miss Nancy E. Snawder, of this 
county, and by this marriage became the 
father of three children, now living, and 
one that is deceased. Those living are: 
John A., the engaging subject of this 
memoir ; Mary Frances, the wife of Frank 



Smith, of Idaho; and Celia, the wife of 
Matt Smith, of this county. In politics 
he was a pronounced and ardent Repub- 
lican and as earnest in his devotion to the 
welfare of his party as he was to the 
preservation of the Union. 

His son John A. thus found his child- 
hood and youth darkened by the awful 
shadow of our Civil war, which not only 
deprived him of his father, but left the 
family in very straitened circumstances. 
He left school at an early age in order to 
assist his mother in pi-oviding for the 
household and worked on the farm imtil 
his marriage. He then rented land and 
farmed it for five years. At the end of 
that period he bought 120 acres six miles 
north of Shelbina, which forms a part of 
the 920 acres which he now owns and 
lives on, the most of which is under culti- 
vation. On this farm and its subsequent 
additions he has lived and labored faith- 
fully as a farmer and in raising live 
stock during the last twenty-nine years. 
During this period he also manufactured 
molasses in the autumn months of every 
year for over thirty years with great suc- 
cess and profit. 

]\Ir. Christine's day of toil has been 
long, however, and its exactions have 
been heavy, and he is now gradually re- 
tiring from active pursuits. But he still 
keeps up his interest in all public atfairs, 
serving as a member of tlie school board 
and in other ways aiding in tiie i)rogress 
and development of his townshi)) and 
county, as he has always done, having 
been a charter member of the Shelby 
County railroad and interested in numer- 
ous other public improvements from time 
to time. On Marcli 26, 1876, he was mar- 
ried to Miss Letlia Ann Cadwell, a 



592 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



daughter of Noah and Sarah (Hinton) 
Cadwell, prominent residents of this 
county. Eight of the nine children born 
of the union are living — Mary Frances, 
the wife of H. M. Bragg; Sarah Ellen, 
the wife of Moses Mcintosh; Allie, the 
wife of Orville Thompson; Jessie, the 
wife of "William F. Stewart; John T., 
Charles H., Harry S. and Abbie Jewel. 
They are all residents of Shelby county, 
and the two last named are still at home 
with their parents. The father is a Re- 
publican in his political belief, an Odd 
Fellow and a Modern Woodman of 
America in his fraternal and a member 
of the Missionary Baptist church in his 
religious relations. 

JOHN FORMAN. 

As a worthy representative of one of 
the honored pioneer families of Mis- 
souri, of which state he is a native son, 
having been a resident of Shelby county 
for fully half a century, Mr. Forman is 
well entitled to consideration in this pub- 
lication, and the more so from the fact 
that he has contril)uted his quota to the 
civic and material upbuilding of the 
county, which has been his home from 
liis childhood to the present day, except 
for a period of 'a few years passed in 
the great western mining regions of the 
west, many years ago. He is now ven- 
erable in years, but is still actively iden- 
tified with agricultural pursuits and 
stock-growing, tlirongji the medium of 
which he has gained success and inde- 
pendence, being one of the representa- 
tive citizens of Taylor township, where 
his well improved farm is located in sec- 
tion 28. 



John Forman was born in Ralls 
county, Missouri, on March 16, 18.32, and 
is a son of Benjamin F. Forman, who 
was born in beautiful Shenandoah 
county, Virginia, on March 18, 1794, 
being a scion of a family founded in 
the Old Dominion in the colonial era of 
our national history. The lineage is 
traced back to staunch English origin. 
Benjamin F. Forman was reared to ma- 
turity in his native state, and in 1814, 
when twenty years of age, he came to 
the wilds of Missouri, which was then 
considered to be on the very frontier of 
civilization. He first located in Boone 
county, where he remained about eight 
years, at the expiration of which he re- 
moved to Ralls county, where he secured 
a tract of wild land and initiated the 
reclamation of a fanu. In that county 
he continued his residence until 1842, 
when he removed with his family to 
Shelby county, where he piii'chased 120 
acres of land, in Taylor township. Here 
he developed a productive farm, to 
which he continued to give his supervi- 
sion imtil his death, wliich occurred in 
1874. He was a millwright by trade, but 
after coming to this state his principal 
vocation was that of farming. He en- 
dured the full tension of the pioneer 
epoch and his name merits a place on 
the roll of the sterling early settlers of 
IVfissouri. On his farm he erected a mill, 
the motive power for which was pro- 
vided by horses, and in the oi)eration of 
this primitive mill he was enabled to 
provide tlie ])ioneer settlers with wheat 
and buckwheat flour, this being one of 
the first mills erected in the county and 
supplying settlers over a wide area of 
countrv. Mr. Forman was a man of 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



593 



strong- individualitj', staunch integrity 
of character and of much energy and 
enterprise, so that he naturally wielded 
beneficent influence in the community. 
His political allegiance was given to the 
Democratic party, and both he and his 
wife were zealous and consistent mem- 
bers of the Missionary Baptist church. 

In the year 1823 Benjamin F. Forman 
was united in marriage to Miss Mary 
Bowling, who was a native of Kentucky, 
and who proved a faithful and devoted 
wife and helpmeet, being one of the 
noble pioneer women whose strength 
and fortitude were well exercised in 
the days when conditions in this section 
were of the most primitive order, ne- 
cessitating many deprivations and hard- 
ships, as viewed from the standpoint of 
the present day. She was summoned 
to the life eternal in 1854, and of the 
eleven children, four are now living, 
namely: Stephen, who resided in Mon- 
roe county, this state (since died) ; John, 
who is the immediate subject of this re- 
view ; Daniel, who resides in Elk county, 
Kansas; Aaron B., who is living in 
Shelby^'ille, Shelby county, Missouri; 
and Thomas W., of whom specific men- 
tion is made on other pages of this work. 

John Forman was reared under the 
conditions and influences of the pioneer 
days, and his reminiscences of the same 
are most graphic and interesting. He 
was & lad of about ten years at the time 
of the family removal to Shelby county, 
and here his educational advantages 
were limited to a somewhat intermit- 
tent attendance in the old Sanders 
schoolhouse, a most primitive "institu- 
tion of learning," in Taylor township. 



Necessarily arduous labor fell to his 
portion in connection with the work of 
the pioneer farm while he was yet a 
mere boy, but he waxed strong and vig- 
orous under this sturdy discipline, con- 
tinuing to be associated in the work and 
management of the home farm until 
185-t, after which he was employed by 
the month on neighboring farms for sev- 
eral years, within which time he broke 
many acres of virgin prairie. 

In 1860, moved by a spirit of adven- 
ture and a desire to improve his material 
fortunes, Mr. Forman made the long 
and hazardous trip across the plains to 
California, utilizing an ox team for 
transportation and being four months 
en route. After his arrival in the 
Golden state he secured work on a ranch, 
being thus employed during the first 
winter, and, after devoting two years to 
ranching and gold mining, he purchased 
a team and outfit and engaged in freight- 
ing from Marysville, California, across 
the mountains to the mining camps at 
A^irginia City and Carson City, Nevada, 
this venture proving fairly successful. 
He continued to be thus engaged until 
1866, when he again made the long over- 
land journey and returned to Shelby 
county, Missouri. For a short time he 
remained with his brother Aaron in 
Shelbwille, and he then rented land and 
was thereon engaged in farming until 
1868, when he purchased his present 
farm of eighty acres, in section 28, Tay- 
lor township, where he has lived and 
labored during the long intervening 
years, marked by well directed effort 
and due material success. He has made 
his farm one of the valuable places of 



594 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



the county, the same having been im- 
proved with substantial buildings and 
being under effective cultivation, while 
he has also devoted no little attention 
to the raising of live stock of excellent 



grades. 



Mr. Forman is one of the honored and 
influential citizens of his townshii?, has 
ever shown a loyal interest in those en- 
terprises and measures that have tended 
to advance the general welfare of the 
community, is a stalwart advocate of the 
l)rinciples and policies for which the 
Democratic party stands sponsor and 
has served as road overseer and school 
director. Both he and his wife have 
long been active and devoted members 
of the Missionary Baptist church at 
North Eiver. 

On April 26, 1871, Mr. Forman was 
united in marriage to Miss Martha J. 
Kodgers, who was born in Marion 
county and reared in Shelby county, 
where her parents, the late Jonathan 
and Eliza (Davis) Rodgers, were early 
settlers, having been natives, respec- 
tively, of Pennsylvania and Kentucky. 
Mr. and Mrs. Forman became the par- 
ents of five children, all of whom are 
living and concerning whom the follow- 
ing brief data are entered in conclusion 
of this sketch: jMiss Lillian M. remains 
at the parental home; Charles E. is en- 
gaged in business in Great Falls, Mon- 
tana ; John W. is a resident of the same 
state, being ongagod in ranching in Fer- 
gus comity; and Oi'ville E. and Benja- 
min C. remain at the parental home, 
being associated in the practical work 
and management of the farm and being 
popular young men of their native 
county. 



JACOB HOOFER. 

The honored subject of this memoir, 
who died at his fine homestead farm, in 
Taylor township, on April 5, 1900, 
passed the major portion of his long 
and useful life in Shelby county and was 
a member of one of the earliest pioneer 
families of this section of the state, to 
whose civic and material development he 
contributed his quota. His life was 
marked by signal industry and was 
guided and guarded by the loftiest prin- 
cijjles of integrity and honor, so that he 
was not denied the fullest measure of 
p o p u 1 a r confidence and esteem. He 
achieved success and independence 
through his own efforts and made his 
life count for good in all its relations, 
so that it is most consistent that in this 
work, devoted to the county that so long 
represented his home, there should be 
incorporated a tribute to his memory, 
thus per])etuating a brief record of his 
worthy life and worthy deeds. 

In one of the picturesque cantons of 
the fair little republic of Switzerland, 
Jacob Hoofer was born on September 
9, 18.32, and he was about four years 
of age at the time of his parents' immi- 
gration to America. His father, Ulery 
Hoofer, was born in Switzerland in the 
year 1801 and was there reared to ma- 
turitj^ as was also his cherished and de- 
voted wife. In 1836 they came to Amer- 
ica and, after remaining for a short time 
in Pennsylvania, they made their way 
westward to the wilds of Shelby county, 
Missouri, then an isolated and sparsely 
settled section, and one that represented 
the \Trtual border of civilization. The 
father jnirchased a tract of wild land 



HISTOHY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



595 



from tlie government, the same having 
been located in Taylor township, and his 
thrift and energy not only enabled him 
to gain more than average success ac- 
cording to the standard of the locality 
and period, but he also became influen- 
tial in the affairs of this section, where 
he developed a productive farm and 
where both he and his wife continued 
to reside until their death. He estab- 
lished one of the first orchards in the 
county and the same was long one of 
the largest in this section, the seed for 
the orchard having been brought by him 
from Pennsylvania. Of the eight chil- 
dren only two are now living — Frances, 
who is the widow of Charles E. Bowen 
and resides in Knox county, this state; 
and John, who is a resident of Hanson, 
Kansas. 

Jacob Hoofer was reared to maturity 
on the pioneer homestead in Taylor 
township, early gaining his full share 
of experience in connection with the ar- 
duous work of the farm, and finding but 
meager opportunities for diversion or 
for the securing of an education. His 
only schooling in a specific way was con- 
fined to about two terms in the primi- 
tive district school, but his was an alert 
and rece]:)tive mind and he effectually 
made good the early handica]i through 
the lessons gained in the valuable school 
of ex]ierience and through self-disci- 
])line. He continued to be associated in 
the work and management of the home 
farm until he was seventeen years of 
age, when he indulged the sjiirit of ad- 
venture by aligning himself with the 
sturdy argonauts who were making their 
weary and hazardous way across the 
plains to the New Eldorado in Califor- 



nia. He was one of the historic "Forty- 
niners," and in that memorable year 
that marked the discovery of gold in 
California he crossed the plains with an 
ox team and joined the throng of gold- 
seekers. He remained in California for 
three years and his efforts were at- 
tended by an appreciable success, as he 
accumulated a considerable amount 
through his labors as a miner. 

In 1852 Mr. Hoofer returned to the 
parental home, where he remained until 
1857, when he purchased 120 acres of 
most productive land in Taylor town- 
ship. Here he developed one of the val- 
uable farms of the county, being ener- 
getic, progressive and indefatigable and 
making his one of the model farms of 
this section. In 1865 he removed to 
Iowa and purchased a fann in Free- 
mont county, where he continued to be 
successfully engaged in agricultural pur- 
suits until 1890, when he returned to 
Missouri and located in Polk county, 
where he remained for three years, en- 
gaged in farming. He then sold his 
property there aud returned to his old 
home in Shelby county, where he ynir- 
chased the present homestead farm oc- 
cu]ned by his widow, in section 23, Tay- 
lor township. Here he passed the resi- 
due of his life, secure in the esteem of 
all who knew him. He was a Republican 
in his political adherency and took an 
intelligent interest in the questions and 
issues of the hour, while he was ever 
loyal to all civic duties and responsibili- 
ties, though never a seeker of public 
office of any kind. 

On March 5, 1857, Mr. Hoofer was 
united in marriage to Miss Sarah ^Vnn 
(irreenfield, who was born in T^a Orange 



596 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



county, Indiana, on August 19, 1838, and 
whose parents, Samuel and Hannah 
(Michaels) Greenfield, were honored 
pioneers of the county. Mrs. Hoofer 
continues to reside on the homestead 
farm, is a devout member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church, and is held in 
affectionate regard by all who have come 
within the sphere of her gracious and 
kindly influence. Of the nine children, 
six are living, and concerning them the 
following brief record is consistently 
given in conclusion of this memoir: 
Sarah is the wife of Frederick Schurk, 
of Lincoln, Nebraska ; Laura is the wife 
of William King, of Farragut, Iowa; 
Emma is the wife of George W. Halli- 
burton, of Shelby covmty; and Martha, 
Jennie and Henry remain with their 
widowed mother, the last named having 
charge of the home farm, which com- 
prises 120 acres and which is one of the 
well improved and attractive rural 
demesnes of the county. 

LEWIS SMITH. 

Numbered among the representative 
farmers and stock-growers of Taylor 
township is this well known and popular 
citizen, who has been a resident of 
Shelby county since his childhood days 
and who claims the fine old Buckeye 
commonwealth as the place of his 
nativity. 

Mr. Smith was bom in Eichland 
county, Ohio, on February 27, 18.54, and 
is a scion of a family founded in Virginia 
in the colonial epoch of our national his- 
tory. In that Old Dominion state was 
bom his grandfather, George Smith, 
who removed thence to Ohio and became 



one of the pioneers of Holmes county, 
that state. Removed to ^Missouri in 1858 
and continued to remain in Missouri 
vmtil his death. George H. Smith, father 
of him whose name initiates this review, 
was l)orn in Holmes county, Ohio, in 
1832, and was reared to maturity in the 
old Buckeye state, where he received a 
common-school education and where was 
solemnized, in 1852, his marriage to 
Miss Mary Marks, who likewise was 
bom in Ohio and who was a member of 
a family that settled there in the pioneer 
days. George H. Smith continued to be 
identified with agricultural pursuits in 
Eichland county, Ohio, until 1858, when 
he came to Missoui'i and settled in Tay- 
lor township, Shelby county, where he 
jjurchased a tract of land and improved 
a productive farm. He became one of 
the successful agriculturists and stock- 
growers of the count}' and here contin- 
ued to reside until his death, which oc- 
curred on Maj' 26, 1907. He was the 
owner of 240 acres of land, and the ma- 
jor portion of this was reclaimed to cul- 
tivation under his direction. He was a 
citizen of sterling integrity of character 
and ever commanded the high regard of 
the community in which he so long main- 
tained his home. He was a Republican 
in politics, but was not affiliated with any 
church. His wife, whose death occurred 
June 2, 1907, was a member of the Ger- 
man Lutheran cluircli. They became the 
parents of four children, all of whom are 
living, namely: Lewis, who is the im- 
mediate subject of this sketch ; James, 
who is a resident of Butler county, Kan- 
sas; Franklin, who is identified with 
business interests in the city of Hanni- 
bal, Missouri, where he maintains his 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



597 



home ; and Jane, who is the wife of S. V. 
Mackey, of Cheney, Washington. 

Lewis Smith was but four years of age 
at the time of the family removal from 
Ohio to Missouri, and lie has ever since 
been a resident of Shelby county. He 
was reared to maturity in Taylor town- 
ship, and there his early educational dis- 
cipline was secured in the Ernest dis- 
trict school and the school colloquially 
desig-nated in those days as "Grub Col- 
lege." He continued to attend school 
at intervals until he was nineteen years 
of age, and in the meanwhile he early 
began to contrilmte his quota to the work 
of the home farm, with whose affairs 
he continued to be associated until 1879, 
when, at the age of twenty-four years, 
he began independent operations as a 
farmer and stock-grower, on a place of 
eighty acres that had been deeded to him 
by his father. He has improved the 
farm with good buildings, has added to 
its area imtil he now has 120 acres, the 
major portion of which is under effective 
cultivation, and on every side are evi- 
dences of thrift and good management. 
Mr. Smith is a man of indefatigable en- 
erg;^', enterprising methods and marked 
public spirit, and he has ever taken a 
lively interest in all that has touched 
the welfare and advancement of his home 
township and county, where he is well 
known and held in high popular esteem. 
Though he has never been ambitious for 
public office he has served with marked 
efficiency as school director of his dis- 
trict and is a staunch advocate of the 
principles and policies of the Republican 
party. Both he and his wife ai"e zealous 
members of the Methodist Episcopal 
church at Evans Chapel and take an 



active interest in the various depart- 
ments of its work. 

On February 4, 1879, Mr. Smith was 
united in marriage to Miss Lorena Jen- 
nings, who was born and reared in 
Shelby coimty and who is a daughter of 
Wiley D. and Jane Jennings, the former 
of whom was born in Tennessee and the 
latter in Illinois. They are now both 
dead. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have two 
sons, both of whom are popular j^oung 
men of Shelby county: John Everett, 
who was born on December 28, 1879, and 
Prentiss Eugene, who was born on Sep- 
tember 27, 1883. 

JOHN A. GILLASPY. 

Within half a mile of his present at- 
tractive residence, in Taylor township, 
Shelby county, the birth of John A. Gil- 
laspy occurred on February 22, 1838, and 
this date has its own significance, indi- 
cating as it does that he is a representa- 
tive of a i^ioneer family of this now fa- 
vored section of the state. His parents 
were ninnbered among the early settlers 
of the county, where they ever com- 
manded unqualified esteem and where 
they did well their part in conserving 
both civic and industrial development. 
Further than this, he whose name ini- 
tiates this paragraph had the distinc- 
tion of being the first white child bom 
within the borders of Taylor township, 
where he is now a substantial citizen and 
representative farmer and stock-grower, 
and where his course has been so di- 
rected as to retain to him inviolable con- 
fidence and esteem, the while he has well 
ujjlield the prestige of the honored name 
which he bears and which has been 



598 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



prominently identified with the history 
of Shelby county for more than seventy 
years. He is a son of Lewis H. Gil- 
laspy, concerning whom due mention is 
made in sketches relating to other rep- 
resentatives of the family in the county, 
and to these articles ready reference can 
be made as supplemental to the one here 
presented. 

John A. Gillaspy was reared under the 
conditions and influences of the pioneer 
epoch in Shelby county, and as a boy he 
began to aid in the work of the home 
farm. His early educational training 
was secured in the Ernest schoolhouse 
and the old district school building that 
was formerly a Baptist church — one of 
the first church buildings erected in Tay- 
lor township. He continued to attend 
school, principally during the winter 
terms, until he was sixteen years of age, 
and in the intervening summer months 
he gave his attention to the sturdy work 
of the home farm, with whose manage- 
ment he continued to be identified until 
1858, when, at the age of twenty years, 
he initiated his independent career by 
locating on a ])lace of eighty acres given 
to him by his father. Here he has main- 
tained his home during the long inter- 
vening years, which have been marked 
by earnest and well dii'ected industry, 
through the medium of which he has 
gained a large measure of material suc- 
cess and achieved that independence 
which makes it possible for him to en- 
joy unequivocal peace and prosperity as 
the shadows of life begin to lengthen 
from the golden west. TTe has contin- 
uously given his attention to diversified 
agriculture and to the raising of high- 
grade live stock, and to his original 



homestead he has added from time to 
time until he is now the owner of a finely 
improved landed estate of 404 acres. 
Mr. Gillaspy was one of the organizers 
and charter members of the Farmers' 
Bank of Leonard, in which substantial 
and popular financial institution he is 
still a stockholder. 

Though never lacking in civic loyalty 
and ever standing ready to lend his in- 
fluence and co-operation in the support 
of measures and enterprises projected 
for the general good of the community, 
Mr. Gillaspy has never found aught of 
allurement in public office, and the only 
position of which he has been incumbent 
in this line is that of school director. He 
takes due interest in the vital questions 
and issues of the hour and his political 
allegiance is given to the Democratic 
party. Both he and his wife have long 
been zealous and devoted members of 
the Christian church and he is a pillar 
in the church of his denomination at 
Leonard, in which he has held the office 
of elder for a number of years. 

On December 2, 1858, was solemnized 
the marriage of Mr. Gillaspy to Miss 
Crecy Peoples, who likewise was born 
and reared in Shelby county, where her 
parents, John and Rebecca (Bachman) 
Peoples were early settlers. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Gillaspy were born two children: 
Dora Alice, who is the wife of John W. 
McWilliams, a representative business 
man of the village of Leonard, this 
county ; and Beatrice Orzelia, who is the 
wife of James H. Hall, who likewise is 
engaged in business at Leonard. x\s a 
worthy i)ioneer and as one of the oldest 
of the native sons of Shelby county there 
is special pleasure in presenting in this 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



509 



volume this all too brief review of the 
career of Mr. Gillaspy, who has here 
lived and labored to goodly ends and who 
here commands a secure place in the con- 
fidence and regard of all who know him. 

LAFAYETTE J. JOHNSTON. 

In section 28, Taylor township, is lo- 
cated the well improved homestead farm 
of Mr. Johnston, who is entitled to con- 
sideration in this work as one of the rep- 
resentative farmers and stock-growers 
of Shelby county and as a citizen of 
distinctive loyalty and public spirit. 

Lafayette J. Johnston is a scion of 
staunch Scottish ancestry, his grand- 
father, John Johnston, having been a 
native of Scotland and having come from 
the land of the hills and heather to 
America when young. He passed the 
major portion of his life in the dominion 
of Canada, where he continued to main- 
tain his home until his death. His son 
Jacob W., father of him whose name 
initiates tliis review, was born in Weller 
county, province of Ontario, Canada, on 
June 28, 1836, and there he was reared 
and educated. He was there identified 
with agricultural pursuits and there also 
became a skilled workman at the trade 
of carpenter. He continued his resi- 
dence in Weller county, Canada, until 
1868, when he came with his family to 
Shelby county, Missouri, and secured a 
tract of land in Taylor township, where 
he engaged in farming, in connection 
with which he found much reciuisition for 
his services as a carpenter, having 
erected a number of houses and other 
buildings in this township. Here he con- 
tinued to uuiintain his home until 1880, 



when he removed to Elkhart county, In- 
diana, where he became a successful 
farmer and where he passed the residue 
of hi-s life, which reached its close in 
1900. In 1860 was solemnized his mar- 
riage to Miss Lydia Nygh, who likewise 
was bom and reared in the Dominion of 
Canada and who is still living in Elkhart 
county, Indiana, both having been 
zealous members of the Mennonite 
church and having well exemplified 
in their daily lives the simple and 
noble faith they thus jn'ofessed. They 
became the parents of ten children, 
of whom eight are now living, 
namely : Lafayette J., who is the imme- 
diate subject of this sketch ; Clara, who 
is the wife of Jacob Mishler, a resident 
of Elkhart county, Indiana ; Ida, who is 
the wife of Albert Brady, of New Paris, 
that state; Susan, who is the wife of 
George Walker, of Chicago, Illinois; 
Isaiah, who is a resident of Nappanee, 
Indiana ; Esther, who is the wife of El- 
mer Grubb, of Los Angeles, California; 
Jacob, who maintains his home in Elk- 
hart county. Indiana ; and Mary, who is 
the wife of Leonard Stackhouse, of Nap- 
panee, that state. It will thus be seen 
that the immediate family circle now 
finds representation in divers sections 
of the Union. 

Lafayette J. Johnston, the immediate 
subject of this sketch, was born on a 
farm in Weller county, province of On- 
tario, Canada, on November 19, 1866, 
and thus he was about two years of age 
at the time of the family removal to 
Shelby county, Missouri, where he 
gained his rudimentary education in the 
district schools of Taylor township. 
When he had attained to the age of four- 



600 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



teen years Lis parents removed to Elk- 
hart county, Indiana, as has already been 
noted, and there he was reared to ma- 
turity and continued his educational dis- 
cipline in the public schools, the while 
he contributed his quota to the work of 
the home farm, in the work and man- 
agement of which he continued to be as- 
sociated until 1889, when, as a young 
man of twentj^-three years, he returned 
to Shelby county, Missouri, and settled in 
Taylor township, where he now owns a 
well improved farm of 160 acres, all of 
the land being available for cviltivation 
and being devoted to diversified agricul- 
ture and the raising of live stock of ex- 
cellent grades. Mr. Johnston has shown 
himself industrious, persevering and 
progressive and thus has achieved a 
worthy success in connection with his 
farming operations. Loyal and liberal 
as a citizen, he finds satisfaction in aid- 
ing in the support of all that tends to ad- 
vance the general welfare of the com- 
munity, and to him is given unqualified 
esteem and confidence by all who knew 
him. In politics he is a staunch advo- 
cate of the principles for which the Re- 
publican party stands sponsor, but he 
has never eared to enter the arena of 
practical politics, and the only office in 
which he has consented to serve is that 
of school director of his district. Both 
he and his wife hold membership in the 
Mennonite clnncli, in whose faith he was 
reared, and is now ]iastor of Mt. Pisgah 
church, near Cherry Box, having served 
a number of years. 

On December 25, 1890, :\rr. Johnston 
gave api)ro])riate observance of the joy- 
ous Christmastide by wedding Miss An- 
na Detwiler, who was born in Wliiteside 



county, Illinois, and reared in Shelby 
county, and who is a daughter of John 
G. and Magdalina Detwiler, well known 
residents of the village of Cherry Box, 
this county. To Mr. and Mrs. Johnston 
have been born eight children, all of 
whom still remain at the parental home, 
and their names are here entered in re- 
spective order of their birth : Lydia, now 
^frs. Fred Littleton, of this county; 
Alma, Eran, Uriah, Xoah, Orpha, Esther 
and Orvis. 

WILLIAM HOWELL. 

Born of a martial strain and with high 
examples of devotion to patriotic duty 
and loyalty to the rights of ma'^^'ind in 
his family history, AVilliam Howell, one 
of the venerable and venerated citizens 
of Salt River townshiji, in this county, 
has, in bis own life work and experience, 
admirably sustained the spirit and pa- 
triotic ardor of his ancestors and exem- 
plified the best attributes of elevated 
American citizenship. His grandfather, 
John Howell, although a native of Eng- 
land, helped to win the independence of 
our country by four years valiant ser- 
vice in the Continental army under the 
immortal commander who was "First in 
war, first in peace and first in the hearts 
of his countrymen. ' ' And when the Civil 
war burst with all its fury on the land 
and threatened its dismemberment, he 
shouldered his musket and freely ]ioured 
out his blood to save the laiion which his 
ancestor had helped to found. 

Air. Howell was born in AVestmore- 
land county. Pennsylvania, on December 
1, is;;:?, and is a sou of Aaron and Re- 
becca (Wilson) Howell, also natives of 




WILLIAM HOWELL 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



601 



that county. The father followed fann- 
ing and raising live stock in his native 
state all his life. He was a very success- 
ful farmer and a man of prominence and 
influence in the local affairs of his por- 
tion of the state. He also contributed to 
its welfare and that of other states by 
rearing to maturity a large family of 
children and making them useful mem- 
bers of society. His marriage with Miss 
Eebecca Wilson took place in about 1829 
and resulted in the liirth of thirteen chil- 
dren in the household. Of these three 
are now living — William, the immediate 
subject of this writing; Matilda, the wife 
of J. C. Parr, of Irwin, Pennsylvania; 
and Eleanor, the wife of J. D. Brown, also 
a resident of Irwin, Pennsylvania. The 
father was first a Democrat and later a 
Whig, and finally a Eepuhlican in poli- 
tics, and in his religious affiliation was 
warmly attached to the Presbyterian 
church. 

His son, William Howell, was edu- 
cated in the district schools of Westmore- 
land and Allegheny counties, Pennsyl- 
vania, and after leaving school worked 
on the home farm with his father until 
1870. He then yielded to a longing that 
had possessed him for years and deter- 
mined to try his fortunes in the newer 
country of the great West. In the year 
last mentioned he came to Missouri and 
located in ^lonroe county, where he re- 
mained until 1882 actively and profitably 
engaged in farming. He then sold his in- 
terests in that county and moved to Shel- 
by county, in which he has ever since 
lived, following farming and raising live 
stock for the markets with all his energy 
and the ardor of a man devoted to his 
work. 



He has been very successful in his 
operations in this county, and in 1908 
determined to lessen his labors and take 
a well earned rest. He accordingly re- 
tired to a very comfortable home on a 
farm of ninety acres, near Shelbina, and 
has in addition another tract of sixty- 
five acres west of Shelbina and ninety 
acres northwest of Shelbina. He has the 
greater part of bis land farmed by ten- 
ants, but although he is seventy-seven 
years of age, he still superintends the 
work and does a portion of it himself, be- 
ing very vigorous and active for his age 
and imbued with a spirit of industry 
which will not be satisfied without some- 
thing in the way of regular occupation. 

On August 9, 1862, he enlisted in the 
Federal army in defense of the Union, 
being enrolled at Pittsburg, in his native 
state, in Company H, One Hundred and 
Thirty-sixth Pennsylvania Infantry, un- 
der command of Col. Thomas M. Bayne, 
the regiment being known as the "Nine 
Months' Volunteers." He was in the 
service for the full term of his enlist- 
ment and was mustered out at the end of 
it. He participated in the battle of Fred- 
ericksburg, Virginia, in which he re- 
ceived a wound from which he has never 
fully recovered. 

Ml'. Howell has been as loyal to his 
country and the locality of his residence 
and their interests in peace as he was in 
war. In the affairs of Shelby county he 
has shown a very earnest interest and in 
promoting the welfare of the people has 
taken an active and serviceable ^lart. He 
was especially helpful to his township in 
a long service as school director and left 
his impress on the school system of the 
township. In many other ways he has 



603 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



contributed essentially and wisely to the 
advancement of the region and helped to 
promote its judicious improvement, and 
he is esteemed by all classes of its citi- 
zenship for the uprightness of his life, 
his enterprise in building ui3 its material 
development and the aid he has given in 
strengthening its moral and educational 
agencies. 

On May 16, 1861, he was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Elizabeth Marehand, a 
daughter of Abraham and Eachel 
(Saam) Marehand, all natives of Penn- 
sylvania, where Mrs. Howell was born 
on September 7, 1837. By this marriage 
he became the father of seven children, 
six of whom are living — Aaron S. C, of 
Henry county, Missouri ; William A., a 
resident of Shelby county; Mary Ella, 
the wife of Joseph White, also of this 
county; Rachel Rebecca, the wife of 
George Foster, of IMacon, Missouri ; and 
Owen Fletcher and Arthur S., both resi- 
dents of Shell)y county. In politics the 
father is a pronounced and zealous Re- 
publican, and in religious affairs he leans 
to the Presbyterian r-hurch, of which his 
wife is a member. Twenty-eight years 
of his life has been passed in this coun- 
ty, and they have all l)een fruitful in good 
to its people and their interests. He is 
justly esteemed as one of their best and 
most representative men. 

GEORGE B. GARNER. 

Owner of one of the splendid farms 
of his native township and held in high 
esteem in tlie community that has ever 
represented his home, ^Ir. Garner is one 
of tlie prominent and successful agri- 
culturists and stock-growers of Taylor 



township and is a member of one of the 
well known and highly honored families 
of the county. On other pages of this 
work appears a sketch of the career of 
his brother, Charles B. Garner, and in- 
cidental thereto is given due record con- 
cerning the family history, so that a 
rei)etition of the data is not demanded 
in the present connection, as ready ref- 
erence may be made, through the index 
of this volume, to the article in question. 
Mr. Garner was born on the old home- 
stead farm in Taylor township, this 
county, on March 4, 1866, and he is in- 
debted to the local schools for his early 
educational training, reverting with fa- 
cetious satisfaction to the fact that he 
was a student in the Ernest schoolhouse, 
coloquialiy designated by the euphoni- 
ous title of "Grub College." He con- 
tinued to attend school at intervals until 
he was seventeen years of age, and in 
the meanwhile he contributed materially 
to the work of the home farm, thus 
learning the lessons of practical and 
consecutive industry and gaining expe- 
rience that has been of inestimable value 
to him in his independent career. He 
continued to be associated in the work 
and management of the home farm until 
1890, when he married, after which he 
rented a farm near the village of Leon- 
ard, where he remained one year, at the 
ex]iiration of which he purchased forty 
acres of his ])resent farm, in section 22, 
Taylor township, where the best evi- 
dence of his energy, ability and success 
is that afforded by his ownership at the 
present time of a well improved landed 
estate of 255 acres, all available for cul- 
tivation. He erected the present sub- 
stantial buildings on the place, and the 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUN^TY 



603 



other improvements are of the best type, 
so that he has everj- reason to view with 
satisfaction the progress he has made 
and the independent position to which 
he has attained through his own well 
directed endeavors. He is a staunch Re- 
publican in his political allegiance, tak- 
ing a loyal interest in public affairs of 
a local order and having served both as 
clerk and director of the school board of 
his district. He gives a liberal support 
to the work of the Methodist Episcopal 
church in Evans Chapel, of which Mrs- 
Garner is a zealous member 

On February 13, 1890, Mr. Garner was 
united in marriage to Miss May S. 
Boring, who was born in Green county, 
Illinois, and reared in this county, being 
a daughter of George W. and Augusta 
Boring. The mother died in 1908 and 
the father lives in Clarence, Missouri. 
Mr. and Mrs. Garner became the parents 
of eight children, all of whom are liv- 
ing, namely: Florence Merle. Alfred E., 
Eva May, George Delbert, Charles E-. 
Clara Hazel, and Lola Grace. One died 
in infancy. 

EICHAED W. GILLASPY. 

A representative of one of the old and 
honored families of Shelby county and 
a son of William L. Gillaspy, of whom 
more s]iecific mention is made on other 
pages of this volume, the subject of this 
review has been a resident of this county 
from the time of his birth and is now 
numbered among the successful farmers 
and progressive citizens of Taylor town- 
ship, his well unproved farm being lo- 
cated in section 24. 

Richard Wilson Gillaspy was born on 



the old homestead farm of his parents, 
in Taylor township, this county, on June 
28, 1866, and there he was reared to ma- 
turity, in the meanwhile having duly 
availed himself of the advantages af- 
forded in the district school that was 
long known locally by the facetious title 
of "Grub College." He continued to 
atiend school at intervals until he had 
attained the age of sixteen years, after 
which he continued to be associated in 
the work of the home farm until 1887, 
when he rented a tract of land and en- 
gaged in farming and stock-growing on 
his o\vii responsibility. He was inde- 
fatigable in his efforts, which were di- 
rected with energ\' and discrimination, 
so that his success became cumulative. 
He continued his operations under these 
conditions for a period of six years, at 
the expiration of which he purchased 
forty acres, which he later sold and pur- 
chased eighty acres of his old homestead 
fai-m, to which he has since added until 
he now has an admirably improved farm 
of 160 acres, all of which is available for 
cultivation. He has erected substantial 
buildings on his farm, and the place 
gives the tangible evidences of thrift and 
prosperity. 

Mr. Gillaspy has not failed to lend 
his co-operation in the support of all 
measures advanced for the general wel- 
fare of the community and, though he 
has never sought or desired iiulilic office 
of any description, he is a staunch sup- 
porter of the principles and policies of 
the Democratic party. Both he and his 
wife hold membership in the Missionary 
Baptist clmrch and are zealous workers 
in the various deitarlments of its relig- 
ious and benevolent activities. They are 



604 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



held ill high regard in their native 
county and their pleasant home is one 
notable for its hospitality. 

On March 11, 1890, was solemnized the 
marriage of Mr. Gillaspay to Miss Mar- 
tha L. McVey, who, like himself, is a 
member of a well known pioneer family 
of Shelby county, where she was born 
and reared. She is a daughter of Reu- 
ben W. and Martha McVey, who were 
residents of Taylor township. They have 
no children. 

JOHN H. BUE. 

Pleasantly located on his fine farm of 
210 acres in Bethel townshiji and pursu- 
ing the peaceful if arduous life of an ac- 
tive and energetic farmer and live stock 
breeder, John H. Bue has, nevertheless, 
had a career of considerable variety and 
adventure, even though it was confined 
to his youth and early manhood. He is a 
native of this country, though not of this 
state, having come into being on Novem- 
ber 2.S, 1855, in Lake county, Indiana, 
and is a son of Henry and Eliza 
(]\Iooney) Bue, natives of Lincolnshire, 
England, where the father was born in 
1830. 

He came to the United States when he 
was about twenty-one years old, and for 
a short time lived in Rochester, New 
York. But the West had greater attrac- 
tion for him. Its great wealth of re- 
sources called him with a pleading voice 
and its natural life, unspoiled as yet by 
the blandishments of social culture, wore 
for him a winning smile. Accordingly, 
after a residence of a year in Rochester 
he moved to Indiana and took up his resi- 



dence in Lake county. There he banked 
cord wood and later became a railroad 
contractor. 

In 1869 he took another flight toward 
the Rockies, coming to Missouri and lo- 
cating at Excello, in Macon county. Here 
he bought a fann and farmed it one year, 
then moved to Boonville, Cooper county, 
where death soon afterward robbed him 
of his wife. From that time to his death, 
in 1895, he followed railroad contracting 
almost exclusively. During the greater 
part of his activity in this country he 
was highly prosperous, but business re- 
verses late in life deprived him of much 
of his gain, and kept him from leaving 
his children with as good a start in life 
as he had aimed to give them. He died at 
the home of his son, John H. Bue, at 
which he had lived at intervals after the 
death of his wife. 

Mr. Bue, the father, undertook and 
carried to completion several large works 
of construction in his contracting days, 
among them the O. K., M. K., T. & Long 
division of the AVabash railroad in this 
part of the country. He was married in 
New York to Miss Eliza INIooney, and by 
this marriage became the father of eight 
children, five of whom are living: John 
H., the immediate subject of this sketch ; 
Mary, the widow of Patrick Lyons, who 
lives in Bloomington, Illinois; "William, 
who is a resident of Flathead county, 
Montana; Sarah, the wife of William 
Garrison, whose home is in the new state 
of Oklahoma ; Charles, who resides at 
Elwood, Indiana; Hannah M., the wife 
of R. W. Tanner, of Idaho, who died in 
September, 1910. The father was a mem- 
ber of the Protestant Episcopal church, 




ARTHUR L. FREELANU 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



605 



and was much esteemed for his business 
enterprise aud his estimable qualities as 
a man and citizen. 

John H. Bue obtained his education in 
the public schools of Merrillville aud 
Ross Station, in Lake couutj', Indiana, 
attending them until he reached the age 
of fourteen years. He then went to work 
with his father, going from place to place 
as circumstances required, seeing differ- 
ent phases of American enterprise and 
human life aud treasuring up the lessons 
of his experience for future use. He 
continued working on railroad contracts 
with his father until 1879, then deter- 
mined to gratify a long-felt desire and 
seek a permauent residence and settled 
occupation. In that year he came to Shel- 
by county, Missouri, and during the next 
three years engaged in farming and rais- 
ing live stock on land which he rented for 
the purpose. At the end of the period 
named he liought the farm he had been 
renting and on it lie has made his home 
and conducted his industries ever since. 
But as he prospered he added to his land 
and increased his live stock business. He 
now owns 210 acres, the greater ])art of 
which is under cultivation, and is farmed 
with intelligence and enterprise. The 
stock business is carried on in the same 
spirit, and liotli are made very profitable 
by the excellent management which con- 
trols them in every detail. 

Mr. Bue has taken an earnest and 
helpful interest in the affairs of his town- 
ship and county, which have felt the 
quickening imjmlse of his strong mind 
and ready hand. He is a school director 
and has rendered valued service as road 
overseer. His first marriage, wliich oc- 
curred in 1879, was with Miss Elizabeth 



Smith, of Shelby county. They had one 
child, which died in infancy. The mother 
also died soon afterward, and on Novem- 
ber 23, 1883, Mr. Bue contracted a second 
marriage, uniting with Miss Jennie Lee 
Pickett, also a Shelby county lady, and 
daughter of Hiram and Elizabeth (Rook- 
wood) Pickett, the former a native of 
Virginia and the latter of Kentucky, and 
both long resident in Shelby county, 
where Mrs. Bue was born on .Tuly 19, 
1861. 

Three children have been born of the 
second marriage, and two of them are 
living, a son named William and a daugh- 
ter named Maybelle Lee, now Mrs. "Wil- 
liam Vanskike, of Knox county. In poli- 
tics the father is a Democrat and at all 
times an energetic and effective worker 
for the success of liis party. He and his 
wife are zealous and devoted members of 
the Southern Methodist Episcopal 
church, and are held to be among the 
most valued workers in its cause. Mr. 
Bue being one of the stewards of the 
congregation to which he belongs and 
looked up to as one of its leading mem- 
bers. Mr. Bue is interested in breeding 
superior lines of coach and draft horses 
and now owns two of the best stallions 
in the county. 

ARTHUR L. FREELAND. 

The last three generations of the fam- 
ily to which Arthur L. Freeland, of Lake- 
nan, this county, belongs have contrib- 
uted to the life, activity and jiroductive- 
ness of four states of the Auierican Un- 
ion and have done well and been highly 
esteemed in all. His paternal grand- 
father, John Freeland, was a native of 



606 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Massachusetts and moved in Ms early 
manhood to North Carolina, where the 
father, Francis Freeland, was born on 
February 27, 1807. While he was but a 
small boy the family moved to Kentucky, 
and there he grew to manhood and lived 
until 1832, extensively engaged in farm- 
ing and raising live stock after reaching 
his maturity and becoming one of the 
noted stock men of the state. In the year 
last named he moved his own family to 
Illinois, and in 1866 located in Jackson 
township, Shelby county, Missouri. 
There he bought a large tract of land, 
which he farmed until 1873, when his 
wife died. He then retired from active 
pursuits and passed the remainder of his 
days in ease and the comforts of a pro- 
longed rest, dying at Lakenan on March 
13,^1888. 

Francis Freeland was married in 1832 
to Miss Julia A. Mayhugh, a native of 
Virginia, born in 1809. She became, by 
her marriage, the mother of eleven chil- 
dren. Ten of her offspring grew to ma- 
turity and six of them are still living — 
John AV., a resident of Oklahoma ; Field- 
ing M., who lives at Blackwell. Okla- 
homa ; Fleming IT., who has his home in 
Shelbina ; Franklin P., a citizen of Leota, 
Kansas ; Napoleon B., who is also a resi- 
dent of Oklahoma; and Arthur L., the 
immediate subject of this memoir. The 
father was a Whig in early life, and when 
tlie party to which he belonged passed 
into history and was succeeded by the 
Republican party, he joined the new or- 
ganization and adhered to it until his 
death. His religious affiliation was with 
the Southern ]\Iethodist church. 

Arthur L. Freeland was born at Blan- 
dinsville. Illinois, on August 28, 1851. 



He was reared to the age of fifteen on 
his father's farm in Illinois, and began 
his education in the public schools in its 
vicinity. At the age of fifteen he accom- 
panied his parents to Missouri, and lived 
with them on their farm in Shelby coun- 
ty until 1885, completing in its public 
scliools, a private school in Shelbyville 
and the high school in that city the edu- 
cation he had started in Illinois. After 
leaving school he became a teacher in the 
public schools of Shelby county, follow- 
ing that trying but self-developing voca- 
tion until 1885. He then started an enter- 
prise in general merchandising which he 
conducted for a period of twenty years, 
his place of business being in Lakenan, 
of which he was appointed postmaster 
the same year. He is the postmaster of 
the city now, having filled the office con- 
tinuously from his first a]ipointment in 
1885, with the exception of four years, 
and discliarged his official duties in con- 
nection witli his mercantile undertaking. 
Mr. Freeland sold his store and busi- 
ness in 1905, and since then he has de- 
voted his time and attention wholly to 
the duties of his office and the care of his 
other interests. He has been successful 
in liis efforts for advancement and now 
owns land in Pike county and a valuable 
residence in Lakenan, over both of which 
he exercises a careful supervision and 
direction. He has always taken an active 
interest in jiolitics as a Republican, in 
fraternal life as a Freemason, holding 
membershi}) in Shelbina Lodge of the or- 
der, and in religious affairs as a zealous 
member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, South. On October 31, 1872, he 
was united in marriage witli Miss Emma 
C. Holliday, of Shelbyville. One child 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



607 



blessed their union, .their daughter Julia 
E., who is now the wife of Linn L. Byars, 
of Valley, Nebraska. 

Mr. Freeland is an enteriirising and 
progressive man, as is shown by his own 
success in everything he has undertaken 
and by his valued contributions in coun- 
sel, in activity and in material aid to 
every movement for the development and 
improvement of the town and county in 
which he lives and the promotion of the 
enduring welfare of their people. He is 
always at the front in all good works — 
niaterial, political, intellectual and moral 
- — and is esteemed by the ])eople who 
have had the benefit of his services as 
one of the most representative and useful 
men among them. No one stands higher 
in Lakenan and Shelby county, and the 
regard in which he is universally held is 
acknowledged to be based on demon- 
strated merit. 

REV. JAMES JOLLY WILSON. 

This venerable and venerated pa- 
triarch in the Christian ministry, who 
was a commanding herald of the gos- 
pel for fifty-six years, and but recently 
retired from active service in his cho- 
sen line of beneficence, has passed the 
eighty-first milestone of his long journey 
of usefulness through the wilderness of 
human error in which he has contended 
against all forms of evil, and is now rest- 
ing serenely from his labors, secure in 
the affectionate regard of the ]ieoi)le who 
have so long had the benefit of his minis- 
trations and the confidence and esteem 
of the whole body of the eitizenshiii of 
Shelby and adjoining counties and in 
many other parts of the country. 



Rev. Mr. Wilson was born on March 
22, 1829, in Highland county, Ohio, and 
is a son of Joseph H. and Maria (Jolly) 
Wilson, also natives of that county, 
where the father was born on May 6, 
1807, and they were married in 1828. The 
father grew to manhood in that county, 
and when he was old enough engaged in 
farming. He also kei)t a store and oper- 
ated a tan yard at Petersburg, Ohio, for 
twenty years, and at the end of that 
period moved to Oxford, Indiana. There 
he followed farming until his death, in 
1875. He was successful according to 
the standards of his day, and in all places 
of his residence rose to consequence and 
influence among the people. He and his 
wife became the parents of five children, 
but only two of them are now living, the 
interesting subject of this memoir, and 
his brother, Sanford H., who is a resi- 
dent of Santa Clara, California. The 
mother of these children died some years 
before her husband, and he afterward 
contracted a second marriage, uniting in 
1856 with Mrs. Priscilla Briden, of Tip- 
pecanoe county, Indiana. He was an 
elder in the Presbyterian church and a 
man of great activity and effectiveness 
in his congregation. 

His son, James Jolly AVilson, began 
his education in the district schools of 
his native county and later attended 
Salem Academy, in Ross county, Ohio, 
for one year. In 1849 he entered Han- 
over College, in Indiana, whidi he at- 
tended three years. He then entered the 
ministry and was licensed to preach in 
1853 at the church in which he was bap- 
tized as an infant. He began his career 
as a jireacher in Oxford, Indiana, occu- 
pying the pastorate of the Presbyterian 



608 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



church in that city three years. In 1857 
he came to Missouri, practically a Chris- 
tian missionary, and located in Knox 
county. For a number of years he 
preached throughout a large extent of 
the surrounding country in school houses 
and country churches, both of which in 
those days were few in number and it 
was far between them. 

The new comer proved a veritable god- 
send to the region in which he took up 
his residence and his useful calling. He 
served as president of the board of edu- 
cation in Knox county before the Civil 
war and under his inspiring influence 
school houses soon began to rise in many 
places like exhalations from the ground, 
and the cause of public education re- 
ceived a stimulus that was of the great- 
est benefit to the county and highly ap- 
preciated by its inhabitants of that day. 
His influence as a minister was equally 
manifest in the quickening of religious 
spirit among the people, and this also re- 
sulted in the erection of many new altars 
for worship. 

In 1868 Rev. Mr. Wilson moved to 
Shelby county, five mlies northwest of 
Bethel, and there he dwelt and gave him- 
self to his duties with great and constant 
devotion until November, 1909, when he 
retired from all active work in the min- 
istry and found a restful home in Shel- 
byville. For forty-five years he had 
preached in Pleasant Prairie Presby- 
terian churcb, besides delivering a great 
many sei'mons and addresses in other 
places, and officiating at numberless 
other functions belonging to the clergy 
outside of the pulpit. He was in great 
demand for funeral services and one of 
the most popular men in this portion of 



the state for uniting young couples in 
marriage. His genial manner and 
benignant disposition won him his way 
to the hearts of the people easily and 
gave him a specially strong hold on the 
regard of the young, while his high char- 
acter, purity of life and unwavering 
fidelity to duty established him in gen- 
eral confidence and esteem so firmly that 
nothing could loosen his hold or alienate 
the people from him, even slightly. 

Eev. Mr. Wilson was married on Sep- 
tember 25, 1851, to Miss Zenetta C. Core, 
a daughter of John and IMary (Ferneau) 
Core, residents at that time of Pike 
county, Ohio, where the marriage took 
place. Four children were born of the 
union, but Sandford Core Wilson, of 
Shelbj'ville, is the only one of them now 
living. The father is now a member of 
Kirksville Presbytery and was chosen 
moderator of the session in 1904. He 
was then advanced in years, having 
])assed his three-quarter century mark, 
but he was hale and vigorous in body, 
and the session over which he presided 
found that his mind was as active and 
keen and its resources were as ready for 
immediate iise as they had ever been. 
His wisdom and skill in presiding fully 
justified the confidence of the body ex- 
pressed in his choice. 

The life herein briefly chronicled has 
been one of arduous effort, stern endur- 
ance and uncomplaining self sacrifice. 
But it has been fruitful in benefits to 
those among whom it has been passed, 
and in view of the good results it has so 
materially helped to bring about, its 
retrospect cannot but be pleasant to all 
who know its record, even the good man 
who has lived it. And all who have knowl- 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



609 



edge of him and liis great work, must re- 
joice and do rejoice that the evening of 
his long day of toil and trial is so mild 
and benignant. Moreover, all wish him 
yet many years in which to enjoy it. 

FAEMERS' BANK OF EMDEN. 

This very useful, highly appreciated 
and widely popular financial institution, 
which has an excellent reputation for 
soundness, progressiveness and the use 
of good judgment in its management, 
was founded on April 14, 1904, with a 
capital of $10,000, and the following offi- 
cers in control : President, D. S. Sharp ; 
cashier, R. L. Davis; directors, D. S. 
Sharp, E. L. Turner, W. S. Wood, 
Thomas J. Crane, P. H. Couch, U. J. 
Davis and R. D. Goodwin. In 1906 Marsh. 
Booker succeeded E. L. Turner. The direc- 
torate of the bank remained unchanged 
until January 1, 1908. At that time R. 
D. Goodwin was elected president and 
several months later Howard Couch was 
chosen cashier, and F. M. Dill vice-presi- 
dent. The board of directors at present 
(1910) is composed of R. D. Goodwin, F. 
M. Dill, W. S. Wood, Thomas J. Crane, 
P. H. Couch, U. J. Davis and R. A. 
Humphrey. 

The business of the bank has been 
good and active from its founding and 
has steadily increased from year to year. 
The institution is known throughout this 
portion of the state, in nearby sections 
of adjoining states and in banking cir- 
cles generally, as one of the soundest 
and best managed banks of its size and 
character. Its past record is altogether 
to its credit, both as to progress and to 
safety, and the gentlemen at the head of 



it give the best guaranty of its strength 
and reliability in their personal charac- 
ter and standing, and the success with 
which they have managed other business 
enterprises with which they are con- 
nected in leading ways. 

Richard D. Goodwin, the president 
and controlling spirit of the bank, is a 
native of Shelby county and was born 
near Emden on November 19, 1846. He 
is a son of Henry H. and Mary (Dur- 
rett) Goodwin, natives of Virginia. The 
father was born in Louisa county, Vir- 
ginia, in 1817, and came to Missouri in 
1835. He located in St. Louis county and 
during the next two years followed farm- 
ing there. He then came to Shelby 
county and here he lived until his death, 
in August, 1910, and was very actively 
and successfully occupied in general 
farming and raising live stock until a 
few years ago, when he retired from ac- 
tive pursuits. In the early days of his 
residence in this state he was a great 
hunter, the season's regular average 
tribute to his unerring rifle being twenty- 
five to forty deer, besides other game in 
profusion. He divided his land among 
his children, but before doing this he 
owned 340 acres. 

This venerable gentleman, who forms a 
bright and interesting link connecting 
the early history of this county with the 
present state of affairs in it, was married 
in 1843 to Miss Mary Durrett, a daugh- 
ter of Dr. Richard Durrett, a native of 
Virginia, but a resident of Shelby county, 
Missouri, at the time of the marriage. 
She and her husband became the parents 
of eleven children, eight of whom are 
living: Judith, a resident of this county; 
Richard D. the president of the bank; 



610 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Robert, William and Henry, prosperous 
and highly respected citizens of Shelby 
county; Jennie, the wife of George Nor- 
man ; Mary, the wife of James Babb ; and 
Rebecca, the wife of Clay Davis, all also 
residents of this county. The father was 
an old-time Democrat in his political 
faith and allegiance, and his religious 
connection was with the Missionary Bap- 
tist church. 

His son, Richard D. Goodwin, obtained 
his education in the district schools of 
Shelby county, which he attended at in- 
tervals until he was twenty years old. 
After leaving school he worked on his 
father's farm in partnership with his 
brothers until 1899. He then bought 160 
acres of land, which he has increased by 
subsequent purchases to 195, and on this 
farm he has carried on for years a very 
active, successful and ])rofitable general 
farming and stock breeding enterprise of 
magnitude in each department and con- 
ducted with great enterprise, vigor and 
continual striving for the best results 
through the application of skill and 
broad intelligence to the work and ob- 
servant attention to its every detail. 

Mr. Goodwin has been very much in- 
terested in the bank of which he is now 
president from the beginning of its his- 
tory. He was a charter member in its 
organization and has been one of its 
firmest and most faithful friends ever 
since. What it is now is largely a prod- 
uct of his creation. He has taken also a 
deep interest in the affairs of the com- 
munity outside of financial circles, help- 
ing to develop and bring to completion 
every wovtliy undertaking for the benefit 
of his township and county. He is an 
ardent Democrat in political relations 



and has served his party well as town- 
ship chairman both by appointment and 
election. He is a member of the Baptist 
church and one of the trustees of the con- 
gregatipn to which he belongs. His wife 
is an earnest and devoted member of the 
Christian church. Her maiden name 
was Anna Moi-eland, and she is a native 
of Marion county, in this state, and a 
daughter of Washington and Isabella 
(Robertson) Moreland, residents of that 
county. Her marriage with Mr. Good- 
win took place on October 19, 1899. 

CRAYTON WOODAVARD. 

As one of the sterling citizens of 
Shelby county, which has been his home 
since 1902, when he removed here from 
the adjoining county of Knox, ]Mr. Wood- 
ward is well entitled to consideration in 
this publication. The major portion of 
his active business career has been one of 
close and successful identification with 
agricultural pursuits, and he is still the 
owner of a well-improved farm of 184 
acres in Bourbon township, Kjiox county. 

He is now postmaster in the village of 
Leonard and his circle of friends in the 
community is limited only by that of his 
acquaintances, for his life has been such 
as to merit unqualified popular trust and 
esteem. 

Crayton Woodward claims the old Em- 
, pire state of the union as the place of his 
nativity, having been born in Oneida 
county. New York, on March 30, 1849, be- 
ing a son of Samuel R. and Mary (La- 
sure) Woodward, the former a native of 
Connecticut and the latter of the state of 
New York, where their marriage was sol- 
emnized in the vear 1845. Of the two 




CRAYTON WOODWARD 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



611 



children Crayton is the elder and Russell 
is now a resident of Cedar county, Neb- 
raska. The father was originally a AVhig 
and later a Republican in politics, and 
both he and his wife held membership in 
the Universalist church. Samuel R. 
Woodward was born in Couueetiout in 
1829, and was a member of a family of 
English extraction that was founded in 
New England in the colonial days of our 
national history. He was reared and 
educated in his native state, and he re- 
moved to the state of New York when a 
young man. There he was engaged in 
the navigation of canal boats for a period 
of twenty years, at the expiration of 
which, about the year 1865, he removed 
with his family to Missouri and settled 
in Knox county, where he purchased a 
tract of land, becoming one of the fairly 
successful farmers and stock growers of 
that county, where he continued to reside 
until his death, which occurred in 1875. 
His devoted wife was summoned to the 
life eternal in 1852. 

Crayton Woodward passed his boy- 
hood days in his native county of New 
York state, where he was afforded the 
advantages of the common schools and a 
well-conducted select school. He was fif- 
teen years of age at the time of the fam- 
ily removal to Knox county, Missouri, 
where he duly assisted in the work of the 
home farm, beijig associated with his 
father until the latter 's death, and there- 
after continuing independent operations 
as a farmer and stock grower in that 
county until his removal to Leonard, 
Shelby county, in 1902. He was known 
as an energetic and thrifty exponent of 
the great basic industry of agriculture 
and was not denied a due measure of 



success in connection with his long con- 
tinued ojierations in connection there- 
with. As before stated, lie still continues 
in the ownership of his old homestead 
farm, .which is well improved and under 
effective cultivation. 

In politics Mr. Woodward is found loy- 
ally arrayed under the banner of the 
grand old Republican party, in whose 
cause he has been an active worker in a 
local way. He received from Postmaster 
General Payne appointment to the office 
of postmaster at Leonard in 1902, imder 
the administration of the lamented Presi- 
dent McKinley, and in this position he 
has since continued the efficient and pop- 
ular incumbent. He has also served as 
school director for more than five years 
past, and is known as a loyal and public 
spirited citizen. Mrs. Woodward is a 
member of the Norwegian Lutheran 
church. 

On March '80, 1872, Mr. Woodward was 
united in marriage to Miss Laura M. 
Johnson, who was born and reared in 
Knox county, this state, where her 
father, the late Cornelius Johnson, was 
an early settler. Of the six children of 
this union four are living, namely: Sam- 
uel, a successful farmer of Taylor town- 
ship, Shelby county; Russell, who now 
resides in Knox county, Missouri; Au- 
gustus, who is a twin of Russell, and who 
is identified with agricultural jmrsuits in 
Shelby county; and Guy, who remains on 
the old homestead in Knox county. 

CECILIUS C. CALVERT. 

Although he bears a distinguished 
name and had men of promience and in- 
fluence among his ancestors, Cecilius C. 



612 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Calvert, present postmaster of Emden, 
in this county, is a modest gentleman of 
merit, and makes no claim to recognition 
except what he presents in his character, 
his conduct as a man and his usefulness 
as a citizen. He is a native of Missouri, 
born on April 1, 1844, in Marion county, 
but his grandfather, also named Cecil- 
ius, was born and reared in England and 
came to the United States in his young 
manhood, locating in Virginia before the 
formation of the Federal Union. From 
Virginia he moved to Missouri in 1818 
and took up his residence in what is now 
Marion county, where he died in 1850. 

Coming down to the next generation, 
Mr. Calvert is a son of Gabriel and Sarah 
A. (Eollins) Calvert, natives of Ken- 
tucky. The father was born in Bourbon 
county, in that state, in 1814, and was 
brought to Missouri by his parents when 
he was four years old. He was reared 
and educated in ]\Iarion county, and as 
soon as he was of a suitable age began 
farming and raising live stock in that 
county, and followed those pursuits in 
the same locality until his death in 1898. 
He was very successful as a farmer and 
when he died left 200 acres of superior 
and well improved land to his heirs. In 
the days of his young manhood the law 
required citizens to muster at regular 
times under fixed regulations for mili- 
tary training. Gabriel Calvert was the 
fifer of the organization in his neighbor- 
hood, and it is a common tradition 
handed down from the older inhabitants 
that he was one of the best of his day. 

He was married in 1839 to Miss Sarah 
A. Rollins, a native of Kentucky, but re- 
siding in IMarion county, Missouri, at the 
time of the marriage and for some years 



previous. They had twelve children, six 
of whom are living: Thomas J., of this 
county; Cecilius C, the theme of this 
writing ; Sarah, the wife of B. V. Fergu- 
son, of Marion county; George A., of 
Monroe county; Julia, the widow of the 
late John AVood, of Shelby county; Ziba, 
who lives at Shelton, Nebraska; and Bo- 
lar, who is a resident of Marion county, 
Missouri. In jjolitics the father was a 
Republican and always deeply interested 
and active in the service of his party. 

Cecilius C. Calvert obtained his educa- 
tion at Hickory Grove district school, in 
Marion county, which he attended during 
the winter months until he was thirteen 
years of age. He then worked on his 
father's farm until the beginning of the 
Civil war, when he felt impelled by his 
love of the Union to enlist in its defense. 
He enlisted in March, 1862, in Company 
K, Eleventh Missouri Infantry, under 
Col. Henry S. Lipscomb, and served un- 
til December, 1864, when he received an 
honorable discharge at Cape Girardeau, 
in this state. During his service he took 
part in the battles of Newark and Kirks- 
ville, Missouri; Gainesville, Arkansas, 
and the two days' engagement at Cape 
Girardeau. The command then followed 
Price and Marmaduke to Little Rock and 
took possession of that city and closed 
the campaign at Frederickstown, ]\[is- 
souri. 

After his discharge from the army Mr. 
Calvert returned to his Marion county 
home and remained there working on the 
farm and assisting the family until 1866, 
when he was united in marriage with 
Miss Eliza Spaw, of Iowa, a daughter of 
AVilliam J. and Mary Ann (Ashpaw) 
Spaw, formerly of that state but long 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



613 



residents of Missouri. He then rented a 
farm in Marion county, which he occu- 
pied until 1873. In that year he moved 
to Macon county on eighty acres of land 
which he purchased, and on which he 
raised stock and carried on general farm- 
ing operations until 1889, when he sold 
out there and changed his residence to a 
farm of 240 acres in Shelby county, about 
three miles from Emden. He directed 
the cultivation of this farm and the stock 
industrj^ in connection with it until 1905, 
then divided it among his children. 

After this disposition of his farm Mr. 
Calvert moved to Emden and took 
charge of a feed and grist mill, which he 
owned and operated until 1907. This 
mill he then sold, after which he passed 
a year in South Dakota. Eeturning to 
Emden in 1908, he bought back the mill 
property, and he now operates the mill 
very profitably. He also keeps a general 
store and has a large and active trade. 
In October, 1908, he was appointed post- 
master of Emden and is still in service 
in thft capacity. 

From his happy union with Miss Spaw 
in the marriage which was solemnized in 
1866, ten children have been born, eight 
of whom are living, and all residents of 
Shelby county but one. They are: 
Laura, the wife of E. P. Parsons ; James ; 
Sarah, the wife of William E. Dye ; Ad- 
die, the wife of James Vanoy; Anna, the 
wife of W. C. Habig, of South Dakota ; 
Julia, the wife of William Adudell ; and 
George and Frank. The father is a Re- 
publican in politics. Fraternally he is 
connected with tlie Grand Army of the 
Republic, and in religious affiliation he 
and his wife are energetic working mem- 
bers of the Primitive Baptist church. 



WILLIAM J. COTTON. 

This extensive, enterprising and suc- 
cessful farmer and live stock breeder 
and dealer, furnishes an impressive il- 
lustration of the worth of industry, 
thrift and intelligent use of the oppor- 
tunities afforded by this prolific and 
rapidly improving country and what they 
can accomplish in the way of making 
fortune and good repute for a laborious 
man and worthy, public spirited citizen. 
He lived on rented land for some years 
after he began farming, and although he 
finally inherited a farm of considerable 
extent, it was in a state of primeval wild- 
ness when he took charge of it, and he 
was obliged to do almost as much as any 
pioneer to reduce his holding to sys- 
tematic productiveness. 

Mr. Cotton was born on April 29, 1857, 
at Shelbyville, Missouri, and is a grand- 
son of Chester K. Cotton, a native of 
Connecticut and one of the earliest set- 
tlers of Shelby county. He was for many 
years engaged in general merchandising 
at Shelbyville, and prospered finely in 
his business. The parents of William J. 
were William B. and Mary (Parsons) 
Cotton, the former born in Baltimore, 
Maryland, in 1835, and the latter a na- 
tive of this county. He came to Missouri 
with his parents when he was quite 
young and was reared and educated in 
this county, attending school in Shelby- 
ville, where he lived. As soon as he was 
old enough and sufficiently trained for 
the purpose, his father took him into the 
mercantile estal)lishment as a i)artner 
under the firm name of Cotton & Son, 
which became a very ])opular and pros- 
perous firm, doing a large business and 



614 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



wixining trade from a veiy large extent 
of the surrounding country. But the life 
of the junior member of this firm was 
short, as he died in 1871 at the early age 
of thirty-six years. 

He was married in 1854 to Miss Mary 
Parsons of this coimty, a daughter of 
Jonathan and Mary Ann (Carter) Par- 
sons, natives of Virginia. They had two 
children, their daughter, Mary Cather- 
ine, the wife of I. N. Frederick, of Shelby 
county, and their son, William J., both 
of whom live to revere their memory and 
follow their example of upright and use- 
ful living. The mother died in 1858, and 
in 1860 the father married a second wife, 
choosing as his partner on this occasion 
Miss Jennie Dobbins, of Marion county. 
Four children were born of their union 
and three of them are living, and all resi- 
dents of Shelbina. They are: Thomas 
M. ; Cora, the wife of Sim Downing; and 
Weldon. In politics the father was a 
Democrat and an active worker for his 
party. He was a Freemason fraternally 
and a member of the Methodist Episco- 
pal church in religious affiliation. 

William J. Cotton obtained his aca- 
demic training in the district schools of 
Shelby county and at Ingleside College, 
Palmyra. After leaving the latter in- 
stitution he pursued a course of special 
business training at the Gem City Com- 
mercial College, Quincy, Illinois. Upon 
completing his education he started mak- 
ing his own way in the world, and until 
1866 rented land and carried on farming 
operations as extensively and vigorously 
ashiscircumstanceswouldpennit. In 1866 
he received as an inheritance from his 
grandfather, with whom he had made his 
home after the death of his father until 



he started a home for himself, a farm of 
360 acres of wild and unbroken land, and 
he immediately gave himself up with all 
his energy to make this tract over into a 
comfortable home and a productive and 
valuable basis of general farming and 
stock breeding and feeding operations, 
enlarging his efforts in each department 
as he prospered and gained facilities 
for the purpose. In this design he has 
been very successful. His farm is well 
improved, highly productive and very 
valuable, and he has made it all this by 
his energj', intelligence and excellent 
judgment in managing everything con- 
nected with it. And the live stock indus- 
try conducted in connection with the 
farming is managed with the same care, 
intelligence and skill, and is in its meas- 
ure proportionately as profitable. 

Mr. Cotton has risen to prominence 
and influence also in the general life of 
his township and county. He has shown 
gi'eat interest in their development and 
improvement, giving active support to 
every worthy undertaking for promoting 
that and looking well to the best inter- 
ests of the whole people in every way. 
His public spirit as a citizen is highly ap- 
preciated by the people, and he is very 
popular and has high standing among 
them. He has served them well as a 
school director and in all other ways 
open to him, or that he could make open 
to him, has given their affairs and their 
enduring welfare his best and most help- 
ful attention. 

On December 18, 1878, Mr. Cotton was 
united in marriage with Miss Jessie Bar- 
num, of Palmyra, a daugliter of Ezra 
and Martha (Wells) Barnum, the former 
a native of Connecticut and the latter of 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



615 



Kentucky. Two children have been born 
of the union, a son named Chester P., 
who is living at home with his parents, 
and a daughter named Alberta, who is 
the wife of B. F. Floweree, an esteemed 
resident of Shelby county. In i^olitics 
the father is a pronounced and unwaver- 
ing Democrat of the most reliable kind. 
In fraternal relations he is a Freemason, 
and in religious connection he and his 
wife are zealous working members of the 
Missionary Baptist church, he having 
served as clerk of the congregation to 
which he belongs during the last fifteen 
years with credit to himself and benefit 
to the church and greatly to the satisfac- 
tion of the whole congregation. 

JOHN J. HOLLYMAN. 

The untimely death of this excellent 
farmer, fine stock man and most highly 
esteemed citizen of Tiger Fork township, 
Shelby county, which occurred on No- 
vember 13, 1899, when he was but little 
over fifty-five years of age, stopped in its 
midst a very progressive and successful 
business career in the allied industries 
to which it was devoted, and cast the 
whole community in mourning over the 
loss of an inspiring force, a leader of 
thought and action and a very useful 
man in all practical requirements of 
every day life, which had been at work 
among its people. 

Mr. Hollyman was born on August 23, 
1844, in Shelby county, Missouri, and 
here he resided all the years of his life. 
He was a son of Charles N. and Nancy 
(Eaton) Hollyman, natives of Kentucky, 
where the former was born in 1810. He 
came to Missouri in the very early days 



and for a short time lived in Marion 
county. From there he moved to Shelby 
county, and on its fertile soil and amid 
its inspiring and progressive institutions 
he passed the remainder of his days, dy- 
ing on March 25, 1882. He spent his 
years in this state in farming and raising 
live stock, and in his time was considered 
one of the very best farmers in Shelby 
county. His marriage, which took place 
in 1835, resulted in three children, all of 
whom are now deceased. 

John J. Hollyman attended the dis- 
trict schools in Shelby county and also 
the public schools in Lexington, Ken- 
tucky, whither he went during the Civil 
war and remained three years. After 
his return to this county he finished his 
education in one of the schools here. He 
remained on the home place with his pa- 
rents, assisting them until death robbed 
him of them. He then bought the place 
and on it he passed the rest of his own 
life and the remaining years of a very 
successful career as a farmer and also 
as an extensive breeder and feeder of 
stock, which he shipped in large consign- 
ments to the Chicago and other markets. 
He began as a farmer and stock man 
with 160 acres of land, and when he died 
he owned 480 acres, which his widow now 
controls and manages with a skill and in- 
telligence that keep the old spirit in the 
industries conducted on the ]ilace and 
maintain the profits at the highest range 
of the times. 

Mr. HolljTnan was prominent in local 
public affairs as a Democrat who never 
wavered in loyalty to his party or 
flagged in zeal in its service. But he 
would never consent to accept a ]"»olitical 
ofiice either by appointment or election, 



616 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



although frequently and earnestly solic- 
ited to do so by his friends among the 
party leaders and also those who 
marched with the rank and file. He pre- 
ferred the independent and honorable 
position of private citizenship as a man 
and the duties and interests of his farm 
to all official cares and all artificial dis- 
tinctions boi'n of temporary elevation in 
public life. At the same time he gave 
close and intelligent attention to the 
needs and possibilities of his township 
and county, and omitted no effort possi- 
ble on his part to provide for the one and 
develop the other to the highest extent. 
Every form of public improvement or 
enterprise for the good of the people had 
his hearty, cheerful and helpful support 
from start to finish. 

On April 26, 1883, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Anna V. Bell, who 
was born on July 17, 1855, in Shelby 
coimty, Missouri, and is a daughter of 
J. W. and Elizabeth B. (Ferguson) Bell, 
the former a native of Kentucky and the 
latter of Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Holly- 
man were the parents of two children, 
both living : Charles N., who lives at La- 
redo, Texas, and Frank, a resident of 
this county. Their mother is a member 
of Mt. Zion Baptist church, and one of 
the active workers among those who be- 
long to it, doing everything she can to 
advance the interests of the congrega- 
tion and the church in general. 

JAMES W. TURNER 

Having passed the limit of human life 
as designated by the Psalmist, although 
bearing well and with spirit the burden 
of his years, James W. Turner, one of 
the prosperous and enterprising farmers 



and stock men of North River township, 
in this county, is entitled, on account of 
his age, to the veneration the people be- 
stow upon him. But he has another title 
to their regard and good will and to their 
gratitude and esteem as well. That is 
that more than half a century of his use- 
ful life has been passed among them and 
the greater part of this period has been 
devoted in a leading and substantial way 
to the development and improvement of 
the locality in which his labors have been 
expended. 

Mr. Turner was born on December 10, 
1839, in Garrard county, Kentucky, and 
is a grandson of James Turner, who was 
also a native of that state and when he 
left it, and came westward with the ad- 
vancing tide of migration toward the 
Rocky mountains, became one of the 
verj' early settlers in this portion of Mis- 
souri. He settled on a farm in our ad- 
joining county of Marion, and on that 
farm he passed the remainder of his 
days, dying on it at last and being laid 
to rest in the very soil he had hallowed 
by his labors. His son, Thomas W. 
Turner, the father of James AV., was 
born in 1818 in Garrard county, Ken- 
tucky, where he grew to manhood and 
was married at the very dawn of that 
estate. In 1840 he brought his j'oung 
family to Missouri and located on a farm 
in Marion county, also, near where his 
father lived. On this farm he was ac- 
tively, extensively and prosperously en- 
gaged in farming and raising live stock 
during all the subsequent years of his 
life except the last two or three, which he 
passed in Shelby county at the home of 
his son James, where he died on October 
10, 1899. 



HISTOKY OP SHELBY COUNTY 



617 



He was married in 1838 to Miss Mar- 
garet Tucker, of the same nativity as 
himself, and they became the parents of 
ten children, eight of whom are living: 
James W., the interesting subject of 
these paragraphs; Thomas, who has his 
home in the state of Oklahoma ; John, 
who is a resident of this county; Mica- 
jah, who resides at Fort Scott, Kansas; 
Samuel, whose home is also in Okla- 
homa ; Mary, the wife of George Powell, 
of Marion county; Holman, who dwells 
in distant California ; and Nancy, the 
widow of the late George Nash, of 
Marion county, tliis state. In politics 
the father was a Democrat and always 
took an interest in the welfare of his 
party. 

James W. Turner began his scholastic 
training in the district schools of his na- 
tive county in Kentucky and completed 
it in those of Marion county, in this 
state, attending the latter until he 
reached the age of twenty-one. He then 
started his own career of conquest and 
advancement by buying eighty acres of 
land in Shelby county, on which he set- 
tled and which form a part of his present 
fine and well improved farm of 400 acres, 
nearly all of which is under advanced 
and skillful cultivation. On this land he 
was very actively, extensively and profit- 
ablj^ engaged in farming and raising live 
stock until 1903, when he retired from all 
active pursuits, although he still gives 
supervisory attention to the farming and 
does chores and light jobs connected with 
its work, according to his taste and in- 
clination. 

Mr. Turner has long been prominent 
and influential in the public life of the 
township and county, and has always 



shown a very warm and cordial interest 
in whtever has involved their enduring 
welfare. He served as clerk of the dis- 
trict school and on the board of school 
directors twenty-five years, and is now 
serving his third term as justice of the 
peace and notary public. He also car- 
ried the United States mails for two 
years during the Civil war. This was a 
public service full of peril and he fre- 
quently appeared to take his life in his 
hand when he started on his trip. But 
he met the requirements of the case 
bravely and faithfully, and he escaped 
unharmed, winning the commendation 
of all who knew of his service for his 
courage and fidelity in performing it. 

On January 25, 1866, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Martha Meglasson, 
of Marion county, a daiighter of Paschal 
and Caroline (Bayless) Meglasson, the 
former a native of Kentucky and the lat- 
ter of Mississippi. Five children were 
born of the union, three of whom are liv- 
ing: Lee, Laura Belle and Hurley J. 
The daughter is still at home with her 
parents, and her brothers are ])oth pros- 
perous and rising men in this county. 
The father adheres to the Democratic 
party in political faith and action, and in 
the days of his greater vigor was a very 
energetic worker for its success in all 
campaigns. His religious allegiance, 
and that of his wife also, is given to the 
Christian church, in which both are zeal- 
ous and devoted workers for all that per- 
tains to the welfare of the congregation 
to which they belong. 

MONROE TEACHENOR. 

The life of a traveling salesman for a 
large and important mercantile estab- 



618 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



lisliment is by no means an easy one, 
however outsiders may view it. At the 
same time it has its compensations for 
its exactions and hardships and those 
who follow it are not slow to see and ap- 
preciate these. The traveling salesman 
of oxir time is looked upon as an author- 
ity on the latest phases of social, polit- 
ical and mercantile activity in many 
places, and is usually warmly welcomed 
as a sunbeam from the outside world in 
nooks and corners which are aside from 
the great, busy, struggling world ; and in 
other aspects he is regarded as a shin- 
ing link between the ambitious busy 
strivings of the smaller cities and the 
mighty commercial centers. In this ca- 
pacity Monroe Teachenor, of Shelbina, 
has served the public for a number of 
years and has found his life agreeable in 
the main. He has been successful in his 
calling, and this, if nothing else, is an 
element of enjoyment and sufficient in it- 
self to i-econcile the man who experi- 
ences it to almost any ordinary privation. 
Mr. Teachenor was born in Lewis coim- 
ty, Missouri, on October 5, 1863, and is 
a grandson of Isaac Teachenor, a native 
of Ohio, and a son of Nathaniel Teache- 
nor, who was born and reared in the 
same state. The father came to Mis- 
souri in 1857 and located in Lewis coun- 
ty, where he followed teaching school in 
connection with farming for a number 
of years. In 1869 he moved to Shelby 
county, and after remaining in this coun- 
ty two years removed to Knox county, 
where he died on May 1, 1909. 

He was married in 1855 to Miss Sarah 
Glasscock, also a native of Ohio. They 
had eight children, four of whom are liv- 
ing: David W., a resident of Salt Lake 



City, Utah; Isaac L., who lives at Clay- 
ton, Illinois; Monroe, the pleasing sub- 
ject of this brief re\new ; and Mrs. P. F. 
Gardiner, of Knox county, Missouri. The 
father was a successful farmer and a de- 
voted and loyal member of the Independ- 
ent Methodist church. He stood well in 
his community, wherever he lived, and 
was regarded as an upright, entei-pris- 
ing and useful citizen wherever he was 
known and by all who had the pleasure 
of his acquaintance, or the benefit of in- 
timate association with him. 

His son, Monroe Teachenor, obtained 
his education in the district schools of 
this state and at a high school in New- 
ark, in Knox county. After leaving 
school he was employed as a clerk and 
salesman in a dry goods store for a num- 
ber of years. He then went on the road 
as a traveling representative of Janis, 
Saunders & Co., a large wholesale dry 
goods establishment in St. Louis, whom 
he represented in th^e commercial world 
throughout a large territory until 1884. 
In that year he accepted a position in the 
same capacity with the Hargadine-Mc- 
Kiltruck Dry Goods Company, of St. 
Louis, and with that house he has been 
actively engaged ever since. 

Although his home is in Shelbina, Mr. 
Teachenor has seen much of the world 
and learned its ways. He knows men 
and their secret springs of action, and 
has mastered all the details of the dry 
goods trade as a commercial tourist. 
And he has the wisdom to make an intel- 
ligent, practical ai)plication of what he 
has learned in the way of swelling his 
trade and thereby adds greatly to his 
own revenues and the business of the 
house he represents. He is regarded as 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



619 



one of the most capable, agreeable and 
successful men in the employ of the 
house in his line of activity, and univer- 
sal testimony proclaims that he is en- 
titled to the high rank he holds in this 
respect. 

On September 23, ISSfi, he was united 
in marriage with Miss Harriet Parsons, 
a native of Shelbyville, Missouri. They 
have had four children, three sons and 
one daugMer. They are: Homer, Fred, 
Lotus and Brooks. The father is a pro- 
nounced Democrat in politics and active 
in the service of his party according to 
his opportunities to work for it. These 
are necessarily limited, as he is away 
from home a great deal of the time. Fra- 
ternally he is connected with the Masonic 
order, and in religious afHliation is al- 
lied with the Methodist Episcopal 
€hurch, South. 

Mr. Teachenor's heart is in his busi- 
ness, and in 1909, thinking thereby to 
win out a larger and more gratifying- 
success in it, he moved to St. Louis. But 
he found that he was as well off in Shel- 
bina and better satisfied, and in 1910 he 
moved back to that city, which is now his 
home. He takes an active interest in 
public affairs and does all in his power 
to promote the welfare of his city and 
county. And he is esteemed by their 
people as one of the best and most repre- 
sentative men among them. 

EMMETT D. SWINNEY. 

Starting in life with nothing but his 
native ability and his determined and 
persevering spirit, and winning a grati- 
fying success as a farmer, a mechanic 
and a merchant, Emmett D. Swinney, of 



Shelbina, furnishes in his career a fine 
example of the versatility of the Amer- 
ican mind when awakened to and kept 
in action by correct principles and lofty 
ideals of duty; and an example also of 
the true allegiance to local and general 
requirements of government, which is 
the natural product of good citizenship. 

Mr. vSwinney was born in Macon coun- 
ty, Missouri', on March 13, 186:3, and is 
descended from sturdy old Kentucky 
stock. His father, Rev. John G. Swin- 
ney, was born in Pulaski county, Ken- 
tucky, in 1818, the son of Wiliiam H. 
Swinney, who was also a native of that 
state, and who there was reared and had 
his career. The family was a pioneer 
one in that state. Some of its earlier 
members helped to lay the foundations 
of the commonwealth and later ones 
aided in Iniilding the superstructure. 

Rev. John G. Swinney came to Mis- 
souri in 1832, while the conditions here 
were much like those found by his ances- 
tors when they invaded the wilderness of 
Kentucky, and he experienced in his day 
many of the hardships and privations 
which they experienced in theirs. He 
was a millwright and worked at his trade 
along the Missouri river for a gi'eat 
many years. But in the meantime, feel- 
ing a call to higher duties, he studied for 
the Christian ministry, and the greater 
part of his time during the subsequent 
years of his life were spent in pastoral 
duties and in proclaiming from the sa- 
cred desk the ti-uths of the gospel. 

This venerable "Father in Israel" 
was the last survivor of the old pioneer 
pi-eachers who laid the foundations in 
Macon and Shelby counties of the relig- 
ious organization to which he belonged. 



620 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



At the age of eighteen he became united 
with the Baptist church, and in 1843 was 
ordained a i3reacher in that denomina- 
tion. On the fourth Saturday of Novem- 
ber, in the same year, and seven months 
after his ordination, he joined with Eev. 
William Griffin and Eev. Henry Mat- 
thews in organizing the Macon Baptist 
association, of which he was the first dis- 
trict missionary. He devoted the labors 
of nearly all of his after life to minis- 
terial work under the auspices of this 
association and helped to promote its 
growth from three feeble and struggling 
congregations to a membership of many 
thousands. 

Eev. Mr. Swinney was one of the six 
pioneer preachers who founded the Bap- 
tist church in this region, and like his 
colleagues in the work, he labored on his 
farm and at his trade during the week 
and preached on Sunday, often riding 
many miles to fill his engagements and 
braving all kinds of weather by day and 
night for the purpose. His ministry be- 
gan before the day of salaried preachers 
in this part of the world, and his labor in 
the ministerial field was therefore one of 
love, and given freely, without money or 
price of any kind. One church, in which 
he preached for a number of years on 
one occasion, gave him the sum of $2.50, 
and this amount he invested in a barrel 
of salt. At another time, in October, 
1882, he requested the Darksville Bap- 
tist church, in Eandolph county, of which 
he was then the pastor, and from which 
he had received no pay for the year, to 
raise all it could of the salary it wished 
to pay him and send it to a veteran 
brother clergj-man, Eev. H. J. Thomas, 
of Shelbina, who was ill and in distress. 



The congregation complied with his re- 
quest and the wants of the brother in 
need, who died a few weeks later, were 
relieved. 

Eev. J. G. Swinney lived in Macon 
county until 1865, then moved to Tuscola, 
Illinois. In the spring of 1866 he re- 
turned to Missoui'i and took up his resi- 
dence in Shelby county, four miles north 
of AVoodlawn, where he lived until 1891. 
In that year he moved to Clarence, where 
he died on August 10, 1901, aged eighty- 
three years and two months. He was 
married in Macon county, Missouri, in 
1844, to Miss Sarah Matthews, who was 
born in Kentuckj- on February 13, 1825. 
They became the parents of ten children, 
eight of whom are living: D. J., of De- 
vall Bluff, Arkansas; J. T., of Eichmond, 
Missouri ; Martha, the wife of John 
Clark, of Leonard, this county ; J. M., of 
Macon, JNIissouri ; A. P., of Clarence, 
Shelby county; i\Iary, the wife of W. S. 
Cornelius, of Macon county ; Emmett D., 
the subject of this writing; and Alice, 
the wife of Calvin Matthews. The 
mother survived her husband nearly 
seven years, dying on April 25, 1908. 

Emmett D. Swinney obtained his edu- 
cation in the district schools of Shelby 
county, and after completing their course 
of instruction, worked for his father on 
the home farm a number of years. He 
was, however, of a mechanical rather 
than an agricultural turn of mind, and 
gratified his inclination by operating a 
saw mill for some time. In 1885 he 
moved to Shelbina and accepted employ- 
ment under W. S. Clark in the implement 
and woodenware trade, remaining with 
him seventeen years. In 1902 he and 
"William McDaniel bought the business 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



621 



from Mr. Clark, and tliej' prospered in 
the undertaking until 1910. Mr. McDaniel 
then sold his interest to Mr. Hawkins, 
and the firm name became Swinney & 
Hawkins. Under the new arrangement 
the business has gone steadily ahead to 
larger proportions, a higher reputation 
and more considerable importance. It is 
now one of the leaders iu its line in this 
part of the state. 

On December 25, 188.3, Mr. Swinney 
was united iu marriage with Miss Mattie 
Rutter, a native of this county, born in 
1863, and a daughter of James and Mary 
Rutter, esteemed citizen of the county. 
All of the three children born of the 
imion are living. They are Edward, 
Effie and Wade. The father has long 
been prominent in local public affairs 
and the fraternal life of his com- 
munity. He has been secretary of the 
Odd Fellows' lodge in Shelbina during 
all of the last fifteen years, and has 
made a very creditable record in that im- 
portant and responsible office. He is a 
member of the Missionary Baptist 
church and takes an earnest interest and 
active part in all its uplifting and benev- 
olent work. 

In the affairs of his city and county 
Mr. Swinney has also been zealous and 
very helpful. No worthy undertaking 
for the benefit of the people has ever 
gone without his energetic support, and 
by the wisdom of his counsel and the 
force of his example, as well as by his 
influence and efforts, others have been 
brought into line and made effective for 
good. Shelby county has no more esti- 
mable citizen, and none who is more 
justly held in high esteem and good will 
by the people of every class. 



ELMER B. RAY. 

Elmer B. Ray, who conducted the lead- 
ing livery and horse sales barn in Shel- 
bina, which was, at the time, one of the 
principal establishments of its kind in 
this part of the state of Missouri, is a 
native of Shelby county, and was born 
here on January 11, 1878. He is a grand- 
sou of Felon Ray, a native of Kentucky, 
and a son of Andrew B. Ray, also a na- 
tive of that state. The Ray family was 
among the pioneer families in Kentucky, 
its earlier members who went to what is 
now that great state when it was literally 
a howling wilderness having been com- 
l^anions of Daniel Boone and the heroic 
men who associated with him in laying 
the foundations of the commonwealth. 
Their descendants repeated on the soil of 
Missouri their performances on that of 
Kentucky, for Andrew B. Ray, the father 
of the subject of this writing, was 
brought to this state by his parents when 
he was but one year old. 

The family located in Shelby county on 
arriving in Missouri, and here its mem- 
bers passed the remainder of their lives 
actively engaged in farming and raising 
live stock. Andrew B. Ray grew to man- 
hood on his father's farm and attended 
the primitive frontier schools of his boy- 
hood and youth. After reaching man's 
estate he started a farming enteqirise of 
his own near Shell)yville, and in time ac- 
quired the ownership of 420 acres of land 
there. Wlien advancing years made him 
desire to retire from active pursuits, he 
moved to Shelbyville, where he still lives. 

He was married to Miss Orzella Bond, 
a native of Missouri. Of the three chil- 
dren born to them Elmer B. is the only 
one living. His mother died on July 14, 



622 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



1900. She and her husband saw this 
country in its state of almost primitive 
wildness, and encountered all the hard- 
ships and faced all the perils of frontier 
life. But they bore their destiny bravely 
and performed its duties faithfully, in 
accordance with the heroic spirit of the 
pioneers, whose exploits in various 
places embody many of the most thrilling 
and spectacular f e a t u r e s of American 
history. 

Elmer B. Ray shared the fate of coun- 
try boys of his day in Missouri. He 
worked on his father's farm, attending 
the district school in the neighborhood of 
his home when he had opportunity, and 
reached manhood with no other prospect 
in life than that of following the occupa- 
tion of his forefathers. He had, however, 
one advantage over many of his boyhood 
associates. He was allowed to take a fin- 
ishing course of instruction at Leonard 
college, and this brouglit liim near to his 
majority. So, after working a short time 
longer at home, he began farming on his 
own account on a fariu of 120 acres in the 
vicinity of Shelbyville. Some time after- 
ward he moved to his father's farm, 
which he cultivated during the next seven 
years. 

But, while he was an excellent farmer 
and found both pleasure and profit in his 
occupation as such, he had a longing for 
mercantile life and mingling somewhat 
in the great world of business. Accord- 
ingly, he moved to Shelbina and opened 
a livery and sales stable. The results 
have realized his hopes of advancement 
and ])roved that his venture was not a 
mistake. He made a success of his pres- 
ent business and won a reputation for 
himself as a cajiable and enterprising 



manager of it. His stable was known 
throughout a large extent of the sur- 
rounding country and to hosts of travel- 
ing men for the excellence of its 
equipment and service, and its sales 
feature was equally well known and 
popular. 

On November 14, 1900, ^Ir. Ray was 
united in marriage with Miss Jennie 
Rankin, a native of this state. He is a 
prominent member of the Order of Odd 
Fellows, in whose progress he takes an 
interest and an active part. His reli- 
gious connection is with the Christian 
church, and in this he is also zealous and 
serviceable, especially in the affairs of 
the congregation of which he is a mem- 
ber, but he is helpful to all churches 
without regard to creed or denomina- 
tional differences. 

In connection with the interests of his 
city and county Mr. Ray is a man of pub- 
lic spirit and enterprise. He is always 
ready to bear his jjortion of the burden 
of improvements and assist every worthy 
undertaking in the most practical and 
effective way. And he is intelligent and 
far-seeing in respect to such matters, 
and never narrow, obstinate or dogmatic. 
He expresses his own views freely and 
as freely accords to every other citizen 
the same right. And he welcomes every 
suggstion and examines it carefully, giv- 
ing it weight in i)roportion to its merit 
as he sees it. He is universally regarded 
as one of the most enterprising and pro- 
gressive citizens of the county, and as 
such is held in high esteem. 

MARVIN WHITBY. 

"Equal to either fortime," was the 
motto of Lord Byron, a mighty though 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



G23 



erring spirit, and the manner in which 
he lived up to it half redeemed his fame 
from the reproach due to even his 
grosser errors. Without involving any- 
thing of error, and in its best sense, this 
motto might he ai^plied to Marvin 
Whitby, of Clarence, this county, which 
has been his home and the seat of his in- 
teresting career for many years. For 
he has been tried by both extremes of 
fortune and never seriously disturbed by 
either. 

Mr. Wliitby was born at Canton, 
Lewis county, Missouri, ou January 27, 
1849, and comes of good old Maryland 
and Kentucky stock. He is a grandson 
of William B. Whitby, who was born and 
reared in Maryland, and a son of Au- 
gustus E. Whitby, who was also a native 
of that state and born in 1806. He came 
to Missouri in 1841 and took up his 
residence in Shelby county, where he re- 
mained five years, removing to Lewis 
county in 1846. There he wrought at 
his trade as a millwright and prospered 
at the business, not only because there 
was great demand for his services, but 
also because he worked industriously 
and lived frugally. In politics he was a 
Democrat, loyal to his party and zealous 
in its service, and in religion a member 
of the Southern Methodist Episcopal 
church. And under all circumstances 
and wherever he lived he was an excel- 
lent citizen, and universally esteemed as 
such. 

In 1842 he was united in marriage 
with Miss Catherine A. Miller, a native 
of Kentucky. They had six children, 
two of whom are living, Marvin and 
his sister, Laura A., the wife of Ben- 
jamin Heathman, of Shelbina. The 



father died in March, 1855, and the 
mother on June 5, 1894. This excellent 
woman, who survived her husband and 
natural protector tliirty-nine years, bore 
the burden of rearing her offspring 
cheerfully and with Spartan courage. 
She could not do all she wished for her 
children, but she did what she could, 
and this was all that could be asked. 
And it stands out greatly to her credit 
that she never shirked the duty or grew 
restless in performing it to the best of 
her ability and the full measure of her 
strength. 

Marvin Whitby was orphaned at the 
age of six years by the untimely death 
of his father, and was thrown on his own 
resources at an early age. He attended 
school for a short period in Clarence, 
and then went to teaching. His own op- 
liortuuities for scholastic training and 
acquirements had been very limited, but 
he had improved them in the fullest 
measure, and was fairly well qualified 
to impart to others the knowledge he had 
himself gained by such arduous effort. 
As he taught he kept on enlarging his 
fund of information and developing and 
training his mind with such success that 
he kept pace with the progress in teach- 
ing and adhered to his chosen vocation 
twenty-eight years, beginning in 1870 
and teaching vmtil 1898. In the mean- 
time, so favorably had he impressed the 
public witli his capacity and general ac- 
ceptability that in 1889 he was elected 
school commissioner of Shelby county, 
and at the end of his term was re-elected 
for another. 

Teaching school is exacting, exhaust- 
ing and nerve-racking work, as all who 
have followed it zealously and conscien- 



624 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



tiously know, and while engaged in it 
Mr. Whitby sought relief from its pres- 
sure in farming a tract of fifty-five acres 
of good land, which he purchased for the 
purpose. He was progressive and suc- 
cessful in farming, as he was in teaching, 
and won a reputation for intelligence 
and enterprise in that line of endeavor. 
In 1900 he was elected public administra- 
tor of Shelby county. This office he held 
continuously for eight years, making a 
first rate record for efficiency and ability 
in its administration and extending and 
strengthening his hold on the regard and 
good will of the i:)eople. He served as 
city clerk for eight years, also sixteen 
years as justice of peace and a number 
of years as a school director. 

Since leaving the office of public ad- 
ministrator he has been engaged in farm- 
ing on 283 acres of as good land as can 
be found in this county, all but ninety 
acres of which he has acquired by his 
own industry and thrift, aided by the 
counsel and assistance of his excellent 
wife, to whom the ninety acres came as 
an inheritance from her father. In ad- 
dition to his farm he owns valuable city 
property. His jiresent home in Clarence 
is a pleasant one, and in that city he 
is looked upon as one of the leading 
and most useful men in the community. 
He well deserves the rank he holds in 
public estimation, for he is unceasing 
in the use of his influence and the gift 
of his inspiration for the progress and 
imi)rovement of the city and county, and 
at all times eagerly desirous of promot- 
ing the substantial, intellectual and mor- 
al welfare of their people in every way 
open to him. 



On December 24, 1894, he married 
Miss Alice M. Taylor, a native of Mis- 
souri and a daughter of the late Major 
Taylor, of Shelby county. Mrs. "Whitby 
walked life's troubled way with him 
fourteen years, and proved herself to be 
a model woman by every test of excel- 
lence. She was a true companion for 
her husband, and a highly useful factor 
in the life of the community. All she 
possessed of intelligence, wisdom and 
energy she freely devoted to the advance- 
ment of her household and the business 
of the family, and, at the same time, 
spared no elfort of which she was ca- 
pable to contribute to the betterment of 
the community around her. She died 
October 12, 1908. 

Mr. Whitby's political faith and ear- 
nest support are given to the principles 
and candidates of the Democratic party. 
His church affiliation is with the South- 
ern Methodists, and in fraternal rela- 
tions he is connected with the Independ- 
ent Order of Odd Fellows and the An- 
cient Order of United Workmen. In his 
part}', his church and his lodges he is 
an energetic and effective worker, and 
his membership in each is highly valued, 
while in all the duties of citizenship he 
is as true as the needle to the jjole, and 
as useful and productive as he is 
straightforward and upright. 

On the erection of the New Methodist 
church at Clarence in 1910, Mr. Whitby 
donated the primary room of the build- 
ing, furnishing it in memory of his wife 
and it is known as the Alice M. Whitby 
room. 

Mr. Whitby's mother was a charter 
member of this church. 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



625 



OLIVER JERRE LLOYD. 

Although but twenty-eight years old 
(1910) Oliver Jerre Lloyd, of Shelbina, 
has already had a busy and varied ca- 
reer. His activities have been employed 
for the most part in one line of work, 
but that has taken him to many diiferent 
places and shown him men and their im- 
pulses and aspirations under widely dif- 
fering circumstances. He is now the 
cashier of the Shelbina National Bank 
and is performing the duties of his posi- 
tion to the entire satisfaction of the di- 
rectorate and patrons of that progres- 
sive and enterprising institution. But 
he was well trained for the work by tui- 
tion in its theory and experience in its 
practice. 

Mr. Lloyd was born in Lewis county, 
Missouri, on January 10, 1882, and is a 
son of James T. and Mary (Graves) 
Lloyd, a sketch of whose lives will be 
found elsewhere in this volume. He ob- 
tained his academic training in the dis- 
trict schools of Shelby county and one 
of its high schools. After completing 
this part of his preparation for the bat- 
tle of life, he attended a business high 
school in Washington, D. C, from which 
he was graduated in 1902. Armed with 
his diploma, his hopes of success, his 
worthy aspirations for consequence and 
standing among men, and his determina- 
tion to realize all he looked forward to, 
he again came to Missouri and located at 
Kirksville, having been appointed assist- 
ant cashier of the Baird National Bank 
in that city. 

It seemed to the young aspirant for 
business success and steady advance- 
ment that he was on the high road to 



the accomplishment of his wishes. But 
soon after his connection with it began 
the bank went into liquidation, and he was 
obliged to seek another avenue to the goal 
he desired so ardently to reach. He 
was offered a clerkship in the Citizen's 
Bank, of Memphis, Missouri, and he ac- 
cepted it and filled the position with 
credit to himself and benefit to the bank 
until April, 1908. He was then asked to 
take the chief clerkship of the Demo- 
cratic Congressional committee in Wash- 
ington, D. C, and yielded to the request. 

Political life and its contentions were 
not to his taste, and being offered the 
position he now holds, he resigned from 
the clerkship of the committee on June 
1, 1910, and became the cashier of the 
Shelbina National Bank. This brought 
him again to the performance of duties 
for which he is particularly well fitted 
and which are in accordance with his 
wishes and ambitions. They also give 
him scope to apply his desire to aid in 
the progress and improvement of the 
region to which he is warmly attached, 
and minister to the welfare of its people, 
whom he holds in high regard, as they 
do him on just grounds of well demon- 
strated worth and manhood. 

On June 22, 1904, he united in mar- 
riage with Miss Gertrude Chick, a na- 
tive of this county, born on January 
31, 1881, and a daughter of W. C. and 
Eliza (Stuart) Chick, esteemed resi- 
dents of the county. Mr. Lloyd and 
his wife are earnest and serviceable 
members of the Christian church and 
take an active part in its works of benev- 
olence and evangelization. They are 
also interested warmly and practically 
in all good and worthy agencies for ad- 



626 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



vancement and improvement, social, in- 
tellectual and moral, at work in the com- 
munity. They are social sunbeams light- 
ing and warming all circles in which they 
move, and are highly esteemed as among 
the best and most representative citi- 
zens of their city and county. Their 
pleasant home is a center of refined and 
gracious hospitalit}', and a very popular 
resort for their hosts of friends and ad- 
mirers. It is also a center of earnest 
work for the good of the community. 

ANDEEW J. OLIVER. 

The state of Virginia, which gave us 
a number of our earlier presidents and 
the ancestors of several of later date, 
has also sent her sons and daughters 
abroad throughout the land, quickening 
the spirit of improvement, brightening 
and elevating the social atmosphere and 
giving trend and character to the civil 
institutions of many different sections. 
Among those who went abroad from the 
wide domain of the Old Dominion and 
came to Missouri in the early days were 
John L. and Nancy (Warren) Oliver, 
the parents of Andrew J. Oliver, one of 
the leading mechanics and merchants of 
Shelbina. 

Mr. Oliver's paternal grandfather, 
Lemuel Oliver, was a native of Virginia, 
and his forefathers had been planters in 
that state from colonial times. His son, 
John L., was born there on January 29, 
1821, and was reared to the occu]iation 
of his ancestors. But when "manhood 
darkened on his downy cheek" he was 
seized with a spirit of adventure and 
determined to seek a home and found a 
name for himself in a distant part of 



the country. Accordingly, in 1844, he 
came to this state and located near 
Milan in Sullivan county. After a short 
residence in that county he moved to 
Lewis county, where he lived a number 
of years, and then came to Shelby county 
in 1886. He took up his residence in 
Shelbina, and here he engaged in farm- 
ing and teaming, prospering in his work 
and rising to influence and good stand- 
ing among the people by the worth of 
his character, his industry and upright- 
ness and the enterprise and jjrogressive- 
ness of his citizenship. 

His first marriage was with Miss 
Nancy Warren, and by the union they 
became the parents of twelve children, 
five of whom are living: John W., An- 
drew J., George W^., Sherman, and 
Laura, the wife of George Warren. The 
mother of these children died on July 
22, 1882, and in February, 1884, the 
father married a second wife, being 
imited in this with Miss Pauline Fitz- 
simmons, who is still living. 

Andrew J. Oliver was born on Octo- 
ber 13, 1854, in Marion county, Missouri. 
He grew to manhood on his father's 
farm, acquiring a good practical mastery 
of the business, and attended the dis- 
trict school in the neighborhood, where 
he obtained a limited common school edu- 
cation, his opportunities for regular and 
lengthy attendance being subject to the 
necessities of the farm, which required 
his labor much of the year. The school 
he attended was in Lewis county, where 
the family was then living, and after 
leaving it he learned the blacksmith 
trade, and then worked at it as a helper 
at Trenton, Missouri. Soon afterward 
he accjuired the ownership of a shop at 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



627 



La Belle, this state, ■which he conducted 
for a time. 

His trade became distasteful to him 
and he sold his shop, determined to go 
back farming. He located on a farm 
in Lewis county, which he lived on and 
cultivated six years. He tired of this in 
turn and took up his residence in Shel- 
bina on August 1, 1890. Here he has 
ever since been engaged in blacksraith- 
ing and dealing in implements, and has 
been very successful in his operations. 
His shop is one of the most completely 
equipped in this part of the state, and 
the mercantile end of his business is ex- 
tensive and flourishing. In addition, he 
owns 480 acres of land in Warren county. 
North Dakota, and other property of 
value. 

On February 15, 1884, he was united 
in marriage with Miss Maggie Ellen 
Harrison, a native of Pennsylvania. 
They had three children, two of whom 
are living: Maggie May, the wife of 
E. A. Newman, and Effie Eebecca, the 
wife of Richard Highland. Their mother 
died on August 17, 1899, and on August 
9, 1900, the father contracted a second 
marriage, being imited in this with Miss 
Ellen Hales, a native of Iowa. He and 
his wife are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal church, South. 

In ])olitical affairs Mr. Oliver gives 
his allegiance and support to the prin- 
ciples of the Eepublican party, and he is 
loyal to it and energetic and effective 
in its service, although neitlier seeking 
nor desiring any of the honors or emolu- 
ments it has to bestow for himself. In 
fraternal life he is connected with the 
Modern Woodmen of America, and, al- 
though a busy man and much engaged 



in his own affairs, he finds time to give 
his lodge the benefit of his frequent 
presence at its meetings and his counsel 
in its management with a view to secur- 
ing the best possible results for its mem- 
bers. In the public affairs of his city 
and county he takes an active part, giv- 
ing his earnest and intelligent aid to 
every worthy undertaking for their im- 
provement and the substantial good of 
their people. His citizenship is of an 
elevated character, and has gained for 
him the esteem of the whole people wher- 
ever he has lived and become known. He 
is a representative man and altogther 
worthy of the high regard in which he 
stands in public estimation. 

MARVIN DIMMITT. 

Although he has several times changed 
his residence, occupation and business 
associates, and covered in his interesting 
and instructive career farming and mer- 
cantile life, banking and official duties, 
Marvin Dimmitt, now the capable and 
highly esteemed cashier of the Shelby 
County State Bank, located at Clarence, 
has known how to make the changes for 
his own advantage and advancement, 
and how to use every means at his com- 
mand for the benefit of the people 
around him in promoting their general 
welfare and heli)ing to magnify their 
comforts and conveniences in life. 

Mr. Dimmitt is a native of Shelby 
county, Missouri, and was born on a 
farm near Shelbyville on January 14, 
1863, He is a son of Dr. Philip Dim- 
mitt, now deceased, and a brother of 
Lee and Prince Dimmitt, sketches of 
whom will be found on other pages of 



628 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



this work. He grew to manhood and 
was educated in the Shelbyville High 
School, Shelbyville, Missouri. In 1877 
he turned his attention to mercantile life, 
becoming a salesman in the dry goods 
store of W. A. Dimmitt in Shelbyville. 

At the end of one year's experience 
and training as a clerk and salesman in 
the store he found an opening that was 
more attractive to him, and became a 
clerk in the bank of Messrs. Cooper & 
Dimmitt, which was also located in Shel- 
byville, His fidelity to duty, capacity 
for business and progressive spirit were 
amply manifested in each engagement, 
and he found his services in demand for 
other business connections. In 1879 he 
left the bank and assumed the manage- 
ment of a branch store belong-ing to W. 
A. Dimmitt at Bethel. But his one 
year's experience in banking had given 
him a fondness for the business and 
demonstrated to him that he had special 
fitness for it. At the end of one year 
passed in the management of the store 
at Bethel he returned to the bank of 
Cooper & Dimmitt and resumed his po- 
sition as clerk and bookkeeper. 

In 1881 his desire to have and conduct 
a banking business of his own induced 
him to open a bank at Clarence for 
Messrs. Holtzclow & G a skill as a step- 
ping stone to the accomplishment of 
his purpose. He opened this bank in 
April of the year last named and con- 
tinued in charge of it until the follow- 
ing November. During the summer he 
erected three business buildings in part- 
nership with his brother, Frank, and in 
the autumn they ojiened a dry goods 
store in one of them under the firm name 
and style of Dimmitt Bros. 



In December, 1885, Mr. Dimmitt was 
appointed postmaster of Clarence by 
President Cleveland for a term of four 
years. He filled the office with credit 
to himself and satisfaction to the people 
for the full term, but did not sever his 
connection with the mercantile establish- 
ment in which he was a member of the 
firm. On the contrary, in December, 
1896, he bought his brother Frank's in- 
terest in the store, and from then until 
1895 he conducted th« business alone 
and under his own name. In 1895 he 
was elected cashier of the Shelbj'ville 
Bank, but held on to an interest in the 
store at Clarence, although the firm name 
was changed to that of L. Griswold & 
Co., the same as it is at this time (1910). 

Mr. Dimmitt remained in the service 
of the Shelbyville Bank until February, 
1902, then sold his interests in that city 
and moved to Clarence. In May of the 
same year he was elected cashier of the 
Shelby County State Bank in Clarence, 
and he has continued to fill that position 
ever since. In addition to his interest in 
that sound, progressive and highly suc- 
cessful financial institution, which has 
steadily grown and prospered imder his 
wise and prudent management, he owns 
and directs the farming of 240 acres 
of land and has residence and business 
property of considerable value in Clar- 
ence, and interests of moment in other 
places. 

But Mr. Dimmitt 's life has not been 
wholly given up to business. He has 
taken an earnest and helpful interest in 
political affairs and dignified and 
adorned the official circles of the county, 
having served six terms as mayor of 
Clarence and eight years as a member 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



C-39 



of the school board. His political afSlia- 
tion is with the Democratic party and he 
is one of its most assiduous and effective 
workers in all campaigns, showing him- 
self wise in its councils and zealous and 
successful in promoting its welfare in 
the field. In fraternal relations he is 
connected with the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen 
of America. 

On January 31, 1884, Mr. Dimmitt was 
united in marriage with Miss Eva P. 
Davis, of Clarence, a daughter of Will- 
iam Davis, at that time one of the lead- 
ing lumber merchants of that city, but 
now residing at San Diego, California. 
Seven children have been born in the 
Dimmitt household, and five of them are 
living: Elizabeth F., the wife of S. J. 
Byrd, of Carrizo Springs, Texas; and 
Michael, Patrick, Eva M. and Buster, 
all of whom are still members of the 
parental family circle. 



HENRY H. BONNEL. 

(Deceased.) 

Finding his country in the throes of 
a terrible civil war soon after dawn of 
his manhood, Henry H. Bonnel, who was 
one of the prosperous and progressive 
farmers of Bethel township in this coun- 
ty, took his place in the army of defense, 
and during the momentous conflict bore 
his burden of service, with all its in- 
volvement of peril and privation, ardu- 
ous labor and dark uncertainty. Then, 
when peace was restored, and the armies 
so lately engaged in deadly warfare 
melted away into the hosts of industrial 



production, he turned once more to the 
cultivation of field and farm, in which 
he was actively and successfully engaged, 
devoting to it the same fidelity and en- 
ergy that distinguished him in the march 
and on the battlefield of military service 
until his death in 1910. 

Mr. Bonnel was a native of Batavia, 
Ohio, born on April 10, 1835. He was a 
son of Levi and Elizabeth Smith (Hill) 
Bonnel, the former born and reared in 
Pennsylvania and the latter in Ohio. 
They had eight children and six of them 
are living: Henry H., Aaron, Mark, 
Ann Eliza (Reynolds), Mary Amelia 
(McDonald) and Frank. The father 
brought his family to Missouri in 1861 
and located in Shelby county, where he 
engaged in farming and raising stock, 
pursuing these lines of useful endeavor 
until his death in 1874. The mother sur- 
vived him eighteen years, dying in 1892. 

Henry H. Bonnel was reared in his na- 
tive place and educated in its public 
schools. He was warmly attached to his 
home and his parents, and after leaving 
school remained with them, assisting his 
father on the farm, and accompanjnng 
them to this state when they migrated 
to it. In January, 1862, on the 16th day 
of the month, he enlisted in a company 
of Missouri cavalry, and was soon after- 
ward at the front and in the midst of the 
fray, which from that time on to the 
close of the war was constant and ter- 
rible. He took part in numerous im- 
]iortant battles and many engagements 
of minor consequence, and, although 
often face to face with death, esca])od 
unharmed while his comrades fell like 
autumn leaves all around him. Before 



630 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



the end of the struggle he became quar- 
termaster-general of Company I, being 
promoted to this position in recognition 
of the value of his services in the sterner 
phases of the conflict. 

At the close of the war Mr. Bonnel 
returned to his Shelby county home, and 
here he was profitably engaged in farm- 
ing and raising stock, except during the 
last two years, when he lived retired 
from all active pursuits. During his 
residence in this county he has ever 
taken an earnest interest and an active 
part iu promoting the welfare of the re- 
gion, doing at all times all he could for 
the benefit of its people, the development 
of its resources, and its moral, intellectu- 
al and material advancement in every 
way. He was clerk of the district for 
more than twenty-five years and served 
on the school board for a period of eight. 
In politics he was a pronounced Repub- 
lican, but never was an active partisan. 
Fraternallj' he belonged to the Masonic 
order and the Grand Army of the Ee- 
public. 

In 18fi4 Mr. Bonnel was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Mary Washington Mat- 
kin, a native of Shelby county, Missouri. 
Of the eight children born to them six 
are living: AVillard, Effie May, now Mrs. 
Starmer, and Julian, Kate, Bailey and 
Mary Edith. The mother of these chil- 
dren died iu 1900 after a life of domes- 
tic service and fidelity extending over 
thirty-six years, during which she was 
true to every trust and gave her off- 
spring a fine example of devoted and 
upright womanhood, for which she was 
held in high res])ect wherever she was 
known as was her husband. 



HENRY C. DRENNAN. 

With his boyhood darkened by the ter- 
rible shadow of our Ci%T.l war and the 
hardshiijs and trials incident to that mo- 
mentous conflict, and being obliged in 
consequence to make his own way in the 
world from an early age, Henry C. Dren- 
nan, a leading farmer and stock man of 
Bethel township, in this county, and one 
of its prominent and influential citizens, 
has shown in his career that, however 
much the lessons of adversity sometimes 
indurate and sour the sijirit, they are in 
most cases salutarj' and stimulate their 
subject to a development of all that is 
best within him. 

Mr. Drennan's life began in Illinois, 
Sangamon county, in 1854. In that state 
his father, William Drennan, also was 
born and there was reared, educated and 
married, uniting iu wedlock with Miss 
Lucinda Cannon, a native of Kentucky, 
in 185.S. They had six children, four of 
whom are living: Henry C, Charles W., 
Darius D., who lives in Idaho, and Mar- 
garet F., the wife of Charles IVIiller, of 
Knox county, Missouri. In November, 
1855, the family moved to this county 
and located on a farm, which was full 
of promise, and during the years of its 
cultivation by the father realized its 
prouiise. He prospered on it and was 
winning a competency. But in 18G4. in- 
spired by the warmth of feeling engen- 
dered by the cruelty of the predatory 
border warfare irresponsible parties 
waged on the helpless people, he enlisted 
in the Union army in Company G, 39th 
Missouri ^"olunteer Infantry. A few 
months later he was killed in the battle 
of Centralia, Missouri. The mother is 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



631 



living yet and has reached the ripe old 
age of eighty-two years. 

Their son, Henry C. Drennan, obtained 
a limited education in the district schools, 
his opportunities being more limited 
than they would otherwise have been, 
owing to the hard conditions laid upon 
the people by the war, which continued 
for years after that was over. He left 
school at an earlj^ age and at once began 
the career as a farmer which has made 
him successful in a worldly way and 
given him consequence and influence 
among the people. He has pursued his 
industry in this line of effort ever since 
and has wrung from the soil of this 
county, by arduous and continued indus- 
try, skill in the application of his labor 
and good judgiuent in the management 
of his operations, a substantial estate 
and the prospect of still greater achieve- 
ments. He owns and has mostly under 
cultivation 360 acres of first-rate land, 
improved with good buildings and pro- 
vided with all the a])purtenances of an 
attractive and comfortable country 
home. In connection with his farming 
operations he carries on a thriving gen- 
eral live stock industry whicli is man- 
aged with the same intelligence and care 
as his farming, and which brings him 
returns in proportion.. 

Mr. Drennan has ever been active and 
zealous in the service of his community, 
manifesting his interest in its welfare by 
close attention to its recjuirements and 
an effective support of every worthy en- 
ter]irise designed to promote its prog- 
ress and development. He served on the 
school board for a period of more than 
fifteen years, and in other ways has done 
his part to advance the general weal of 



the locality and its people. In politics 
he is a firm and consistent Republican, 
but he has never been an over-active par- 
tisan. He was married in 1882 to Miss 
Sallie C. Miller, a native of Ohio who 
came to this state with her parents when 
she was three years old. They have four 
children. Hurley H., Fred M., Alice and 
Phil 0. 

WILLIAM CUMMINGS RAINES. 

Born in Wisconsin in 1839, at a time 
which may properly be desigiiated as 
belonging to the early history of the 
iVIiddle West, and in later years carried 
by his occupation to almost every other 
part of the country west of the Alle- 
ghany mountains, William C. Raines, 
now one of the i)rosperous and progres- 
sive farmers of Bethel townshi)), in this 
county, has had a varied experience and 
found it profitable, not only in the acqui- 
sition of worldly wealth, but in giving 
liim knowledge of himself and others, 
and a familiar acquaintance with the va- 
rious parts of our great domain which 
lie between our two mighty mountain 
ranges. 

Mr. Raines is a scion of old N'irginia 
families on his father's side of tlie house, 
his ancestors having lived in the Old 
Dominion from early colonial days. 
From there his grandfather migrated to 
Kentucky when that now great common- 
wealth was almost a pathless wildei'ness, 
and there his father, Isaac Raines, was 
born. His mother, whose maiden name 
was Sarah Ramsdell, was a native of In- 
diana. Of the eight children born in his 
father's family he is now the only one 
liviui"'. The father was of a misiTatorv 



632 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



disposition and sought advancement in 
various parts of the country. He came 
to ^Missouri and located in Marion coun- 
ty, at Hannibal, at an early date, after 
living successively in Kentucky, Indiana 
and Wisconsin. In 1850, when the ex- 
citement over the discovery of gold on 
the Pacific slope was at its height, he 
went to California. He did not tarry 
long in the new eldorado, however, but 
soon returned to his Marion county, Mis- 
souri, home. 

Still the gold fever had him in its grip, 
and the longing for the Pacitic coast was 
constantly with him while he was busily 
engaged in cultivating his Ealls county 
farm for a number of years. At length 
it became irresistible, and in 186.3 he 
went back to California, taking his wife 
with him, and there he remained thirty 
years, his wife dying there in 1880. Thir- 
teen years later, in 189.3, he returned 
again to Missouri, Shelby county, and 
here he died in 1899. 

William C. Raines obtained his edu- 
cation in the public schools of Hannibal, 
Missouri. After leaving school he 
learned the blacksmith trade, but he has 
never worked at it. In 1858, when he 
was nineteen years old, he became an 
engineer on transports and tow boats, 
and in this capacity he was employed 
for a period of nearly forty years during 
which he traversed every navigable riv- 
er in the West. In 1886 he came to 
Shelby county, Missouri, accompanied 
by his family, and settled down as a 
farmer, to which occupation he has ever 
since adliorod. Tie has ]>rospered in his 
agricultural enterprise, and now owns 
and has under cultivation 137 acres of 
superior land, which constitutes one of 



the attractive and valuable country 
homes of Bethel township, and is man- 
aged with skill and intelligence that make 
him one of the model farmers of the 
locality. 

On December 12, 1863, he was united 
in marriage with Miss Mary E. Callo- 
way, a native of Maryland. They had 
six children, two of whom are living, 
their daughters, Emma, the wife of Will- 
iam P. Roberts, of St. Louis, and Julia 
C, the wife of J. C. Smith, of Walkers- 
ville, Missouri. The mother of these 
children died on January 8, 1909, aged 
seventy years. In politics the father be- 
longs to the Democratic party, but owing 
to his migratory life he has never taken 
an active interest in political affairs. He 
is not a member of any church or fra- 
ternal organization, but is an excellent 
citizen, highly esteemed by all who know 
him and well worthy of the universal 
regard in which he is held in his own 
community, in the welfare of which he 
takes an earnest and serviceable interest. 

FRANCIS M. KIMBLEY. 

Becoming an orphan at the age of sev- 
enteen by the untimely death of his 
father, which left the family in strait- 
ened circumstances, and in consequence, 
ol)liged to nuike his own way in the world 
without the aid of outside help or For- 
tune's favors in any way, F. ^1. Kimbley, 
of Bethel township, in this county, found 
life's journey a rough and stony road 
during several years of his progress on 
it toward the goal of his hopes. He is 
now one of the most successful and pros- 
]ierous f armersand stock men of the town- 
ship, i:)rominent and influential as a citi- 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



633 



zen and generally esteemed and popular 
as a man. He has made the rugged 
ascent to this condition wholly by his 
own efforts and ability, and is deserving 
of the consequences he has attained. 

Mr. Kimbley's life began in Adams 
county, Illinois, where he was born on 
January 1, 1863. He is a son of Matthew 
E. and Emilia J. (Prickett) Kimbley, 
the former a native of Illinois and the 
latter of Ohio. They had ten children, 
two of whom are living, F. M., and Hen- 
ry, who lives in the state of Oklahoma. 
Harvey and Geoi'ge died after having 
reached maturity. The father first came 
to Missouri and located in Clark county 
in 1860. Later he moved his family to 
that county, and there he followed farm- 
ing until his death in 1879. The mother 
survived him twenty-seven years, dying 
in 1906. 

Their son, Francis M. Kimbley, ob- 
tained a limited education in the district 
schools of Clark county, but his aspira- 
tions in this direction were cut short 
by the death of his father, and even be- 
fore that his advantages had been mea- 
ger, as the work on the home farm re- 
quired during all the working season 
every available force in the family, and 
all other considerations had to yield to 
it. When he left school he gave himself 
up wholly to the cultivation of the farm, 
which tlie family occupied until 1880, 
and then he and the rest of the living 
children came to Shelby county with 
their mother, and took up their residence 
on a farm in Bethel township. 

In 1883, impelled by the hope of suc- 
cess in mining and other lines of effort, 
he went to Colorado, which was then 
looked upon, and not improperly, as a 



state, or territory of great possibilities. 
But Shelby county still had a winning 
voice for him, and after a short time he 
returned to it, content to take his chances 
for advancement with the fruits of its 
fertile soil and his opportunities for so- 
cial enjoyment and civil and material 
progress among its home-loving but 
wide-awake and enterprising people. 
Here he has been industriously and suc- 
cessfully engaged in farming and rais- 
ing live stock ever since with steadily 
increasing iDrosperity. He now owns and 
has under cultivation over -iOO acr«s of 
fine land, well improved and brought to 
a high condition of productiveness. His 
stock industry is also extensive and 
l^rofitable. Both departments of his 
work are conducted with skill and intel- 
ligence, and each well rejjays the care 
and attention bestowed upon it. 

Mr. Kimbley was married in 1883 to 
Miss Anna Wester, a native of this coun- 
ty. They had six children, five of whom 
are living. They are Harry, Minnie, 
Ettie, Ira and Ruby. In politics the 
father is an active working Democrat, 
with great interest in the success of his 
party and always zealous and effective 
in its service. He rendered good serv- 
ice to the people as a member of the 
school board for four years, and in many 
other ways has been useful in promoting 
their welfare. In fraternal life he be- 
longs to the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows, in which also he takes an active 
part, contributing to its advancement In- 
wisdom in counsel and zeal and intelli- 
gence in active work. He is one of the 
most esteemed citizens of the township. 
Mrs. Kimbley is a member of the Baptist 
church. 



634 



HISTORY OP SHELBY COUNTY 



EDWARD N. GERAED, JR., M. D. 

Who shall say to how many persons 
a country physician in active practice is 
comfort in suffering, solace in sorrow, 
hope ia despair and even consolation in 
death? Or how shall we estimate the im- 
mense amount of good one who is faith- 
ful to his duty does in encouraging the 
failing, stimulating the flagging, and 
leading the almost hopeless to hold on 
their last anchorage of hope in the de- 
sire to be still self-sustaining and useful 
to others in their day? These are ques- 
tions which no one, not even the country 
physicians themselves, can begin to an- 
swer, so far does any man's personal in- 
fluence outrun his knowledge of needs 
and consequences. It is enough for every 
doctor to consider the requirements of 
his daily duty and properly attend to 
them, leaving to other than human tri- 
bimals to determine the results. 

Tried even by this severe standard. 
Doctor Edward N. Gerard, Jr., of Leon- 
ard, this county, is entitled to a high 
regard. During all of the last fifteen 
years he has been engaged in an active 
general practice of his profession in 
Shelby county, and for thirteen of them 
at Leonard, where he now has his base 
of operations. He has rendered the peo- 
ple of the county excellent service, and 
that it is appreciated is shown by the 
universal esteem and confidence the peo- 
ple bestow u]X)n him and general and 
widespread popuhuity he enjoys. He 
has ever been at the call and service of 
the pnlilic, and they have not ignored 
the fact. For he has a large practice 
and gives it close, careful and conscien- 
tious attention. 



Dr. Gerard was born on September 8, 
1869, at Shelbina, in this county, and is 
a son of Edward N. and Priscilla E. 
(Drane) Gerard, the fonner a native of 
Ralls county, Missouri, and the latter of 
the state of Maryland. They had eight 
children, all of whom grew to maturity. 
Five of them are living : Walter, whose 
home is in Seattle, A¥ashington; Mary, 
residing in Oakland, California; Nellie, 
the wife of Dr. J. H. Gentry, an esteemed 
resident of San Bordena, California; 
Richard and Harry, who live in Oakland, 
California, with the mother and sister, 
Mary. The father, who was an honored 
])hysician in this part of the state during 
Hie last generation, was born and reared 
in Ralls county, Missouri, and practiced 
his profession there and in Monroe and 
Shelby counties. He died in February, 
1904. The mother is still living at Oak- 
laud, California, and is now seventy-one 
years old. 

Dr. Edward N. Gerard, Jr., grew to 
manhood in Shelbina and obtained his 
scholastic training in part at the ordi- 
nary schools of the city. He then at- 
tended Shelbina Collegiate Institute, and 
after completing its course of instruction 
took up the study of medicine at Univer- 
sity ]\Iedical College in Kansas City, 
]\lissouri, from which he was graduated 
with the degree of M. D. in 1895. He 
began his practice at Shelbina, and con- 
tinued it there and at other ])laces until 
1897, when he located at Leonard, in this 
county, where he has ever since been 
actively, energetically and successfully 
engaged in it, with a steadily increasing 
body of patients and a growing poinilar- 
ity among the people. 

In December, 1898, he was united with 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



635 



Miss Edna Way, a daughter of Harry 
and Margaret (McMillan) Way, highly 
respected residents of Shelby county, but 
born in Pennsylvania. They came to 
Missouri in 1884 and located in Shelbina. 
Dr. and Mrs. Gerard have one child, 
their son, Nathan Way, who brighteus 
and warms the family iireside with his 
genial presence. The Doctor is a Demo- 
crat in politics and always takes an 
active interest in the affairs of his party, 
but has never accepted a political office 
of any kind. He is a member of the 
Order of Odd Fellows and he and his 
wife are members of the Presbyterian 
church. 

FARMERS' BANK OF LEONARD. 

This valued and progressive financial 
institution, which is one of the best of its 
magnitude in this part of the state, was 
foimded on August 13, 1906, with a capi- 
tal stock of $10,000. William Z. T. Peo- 
ples was elected president; B. F. Van 
Vacter, vice-i^resident ; B. J. See, cash- 
ier, and William Z. T. Peoples, B. F. 
Van Vacter, D. A. Carmichael, A. L. 
Perry, C. B. Forman, J. W. Hawkins, 
J. A.^Gillaspy, N. W. Peoples and G. W. 
Greenfield, directors. In 1908 D. A. Car- 
michael succeeded Mr. Van Vacter as 
vice-president and L. Kemp was chosen 
to his place on the board of directors. 
B. J. See was also added to the board 
that year. 

The bank has flourished and been very 
popular from the start. It supplied a 
great need in the community, and the 
liberality and straightforwardness of its 
management, coupled with its undoubted 
strength and soundness, which is guar- 



anteed by the character of the men at the 
head of it, have made it an institution of 
which every citizen of the community is 
proud, and justly so. The institution 
carries on a general banking business 
according to the most ai)i)r()ved modern 
methods, and toward public improve- 
ments and all the undertakings for the 
advancement of the town and surround- 
ing country in which it is located, pur- 
sues a policy of great ijrogressiveness. 
At the time of this writing (1910) the 
bank has a surplus and undivided profits 
amounting to $3,000; deposits aggregat- 
ing $51,995.54, and loans that reach the 
sum of $52,214.09. Its business is stead- 
ily increasing, and its hold on the confi- 
dence and regard of the peo]3le keeps 
pace with the increase. It meets every 
requirement of such an institution in the 
most successful manner, and while hav- 
ing at all times a close and circumspect 
eye on the line of safety, provides for 
every want to which it can minister in 
public or private life. 

William Z. T. Peoples, the ex-president 
and controlling spirit of the bank, is a 
native of Shelby county, Missouri, born 
on March 12, 1849. His grandfather, 
John Peoples, was born in Ireland and 
became an early settler in Tennessee. In 
Sullivan county of that state the father 
of Mr. Peoples, the president of the bank, 
was born in 1804, and there he was 
reared and educated. There also ho was 
united in marriage with Miss Rebecca 
Bachman, a uative of Tennessee. They 
bad thirteen children, five of whom are 
living, and all residents of this county 
but one. They are : John ; Chrissey, the 
wife of John A. Gillaspy; Solomon, who 
resides in the state of Oklahoma; Wil- 



636 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



liam Z. T. ; and Mary E., the wife of 
Eichard Tuggle. The father was an old 
time Democrat in his political faith and 
allegiance and a great worker for the 
success of his party. His religious affil- 
iation was with the Christian church. 

AVilliam Z. T. Peoples obtained his 
education in what is known as Ernest 
district school, in Taylor township, this 
coimty. The schoolhouse, when he was 
a pupil in the school, was a rude con- 
struction of logs and furnished with slab 
benches and lacking nearly all the con- 
veniences of the modern structure de- 
voted to the education of the young. But, 
primitive as it was, and irregularly as it 
was kept, the school helped in the devel- 
opment of character along with mental 
training, and that its ministrations were 
of value is shown by the make-up and 
achievements of those who learned some 
of the lessons of life under its discipline. 

The parents of Mr. Peoples came to 
Missouri in 1836, and after a residence 
of two years in Marion county located in 
Shelby county, where they were among 
the early settlers. The father entered 
government land and became a very suc- 
cessful and extensive farmer and stock 
man, holding at the time of his death, 
which occurred on October 21, 1854, 1,.300 
acres of superior land, a great deal of 
which he had reduced to systematic fruit- 
fulness. His operations in both farming 
and stock raising were extensive, as has 
been stated, but every detail of them re- 
ceived his close and intelligent attention 
and was directed by his personal super- 
vision. His great success was the logical 
result of bis skill and industry, and it 
marked him as a man of great natural 
al)ility enriched by study and reflection. 



His son, William Z. T., remained at 
home until he reached the age of twenty- 
one, working on the farm and assisting 
the family. In 1870 he bought 160 acres 
of land and began farming and raising 
stock for himself, but continued to reside 
with his mother until his first marriage 
the next year. He kept up his farming 
operations and stock raising with in- 
creasing prosperity and frequent addi- 
tions to his farm until 1906, when he was 
chosen president of the Farmers' Bank 
of Leonard. He moved into that town 
in 1907 and there he has even since re- 
sided. But he still retains his fine farm 
of 450 acres and rents it to his son. In 
December, 1910, Mr. Peoples resigned 
his position as president of the bank on 
account of failing health and D. A. Car- 
michael was chosen as acting president 
until the office can be regularly filled. 

In the local public affairs of the town- 
ship and county Mr. Peoples has always 
shown a good citizen's earnest and help- 
ful interest. He has served as school 
director and in many other waj^s has con- 
tributed to the welfare and advancement 
of the people around him. He was first 
married on May 4, 1871, to Miss Mary 
Alice Garnett, a daughter of Thomas and 
Ziraldi (McWilliams) Garnett, esteemed 
residents of this county. The union re- 
sulted in one child, a son named Noah 
W., who is a prosperous farmer in this 
county. The mother of this son died on 
Se]itember 8, 1900, and on January 16, 
1907, the father was married to Miss 
Florence Taylor, of Woodson county, 
Kansas. In politics he is a Democrat of 
the most reliable and unwavering kind, 
and in religion a member of the Chris- 
tian church, and a very active worker in 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



637 



the congregation to which he belongs. In 
all the elements of elevated and upright 
citizenship he is distinguished and he is 
correspondingly esteemed by all who 
know him throughout the county. 

JAMES WILLIAM HAWKINS. 

Successful in everything he has under- 
taken and highly reisresentative of the 
people among whom he lives and labors 
and having also developed and built up 
to large proportions a distinctive indus- 
try, which is one of the sources of pride 
to the people of this county, James Wil- 
liam Hawkins, of Taylor township, this 
coimty, presents a j^leasing theme to the 
pen of the biographer, however briefly it 
may be found necessary to treat it. He 
is a native of the county and has passed 
his life to this time (1910) within its 
borders. He was educated in its public 
schools and he married one of its native 
daughters. He has also expended all his 
efforts in industrial life among its peo- 
ple. Whatever he is, therefore, he is all 
the county's own. 

Mr. Hawkins was born in Clay town- 
ship, Shelby county, in 1855. His pater- 
nal grandfather, John F. Hawkins, was 
born and reared in Kentucky where the 
family to which he belonged was among 
the i^ioneers. There also his son Bowles 
Hawkins, the father of James William, 
was born. But when the latter was but 
two years old the family moved to this 
state and located in Ealls county. In 
that county the father of Mr. Hawkins 
grew to manhood and obtained his edu- 
cation. After leaving school he followed 
farming in Ralls county until 1850, then 
moved to Shelby county and here re- 



newed his farming operations, supple- 
menting them with a thriving industry in 
raising stock generally for the Eastern 
markets. His operations were extensive 
and he continued them successfully and 
profitably until his death, which occurred 
in May, 1877. 

In 1849 he was united in marriage 
with Miss Lucinda S. Dawson, a native 
of Ralls county, Missouri, and daughter 
of John and Fanny (Bowles) Dawson, 
who came to this state from Kentucky. 
The elder Mr. Hawkins and his wife be- 
came the parents of eleven children, all 
but one of whom grew to maturity. 
Those now living are: James W., the 
immediate subject of this memoir; 
Fanny B., the wife of V. B. Creekmur, 
whose home is at Prescott, Arizona; 
John F., who resides at Phoenix, Ari- 
zona ; Eugene T., who is a citizen of Cal- 
ifornia ; Wallace B., a resident of Monte- 
vista, Colorado; Lulu A., the wife of 
Norris Farmer, of Shelby county, Mis- 
soiiri; and Leslie B. The mother sur- 
vived her husband ten years, passing 
away in February, 1887. 

James W. Hawkins grew to manhood 
in this county, and as soon as he left 
school turned his attention to farming 
and raising live stock. His industry in 
these kindred pursuits was small at first 
and general. But be soon developed a 
taste and capacity for specialties, and to 
them he has ever since devoted himself. 
He has a fine farm of 1 20 acres, which he 
calls the "Cedar Grove Stock Farm," 
and on this he specializes in Shorthorn 
cattle, Poland-China hogs, Cotswold 
sheep and single comb brown leghorn 
chickens with great success. He has won 
a high reputation for his output, and the 



638 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



study and care he bestows on his breed- 
ing have made him an authority on all 
matters connected with the subject and 
given his opinions concerning it great 
weight. In 1907 he opened a general 
store in Leonard. But he soon found out 
that merchandising in a general way was 
not to his taste, and in October, 1908, he 
sold the business to his son-in-law, 
C. E. Stuart, and returned to his farm. 

On February 25, 1880, Mr. Hawkins 
married with Miss Bertha G. Shofstall, 
a daughter of W. H. and Sarah C. Shof- 
stall, natives of Ohio, but herself born 
and reared in this county. Three chil- 
dren have been born of the union, two of 
whom are living, Sallie Kate, the wife of 
C. E. Stuart, of Leonard, and Arthur 
Scott, who is associated with his father 
in the stock business, the name of the 
firm being J. W. Hawkins & Son. The 
business is extensive and all the energies 
and time of both father and sou are I'e- 
quired for its proper management and 
complete success. 

In politics ]\rr. Hawkins is a pro- 
nounced Democrat, but he has never 
been a very active partisan, nor has he 
at any time sought or desired a political 
office, although he did serve three years 
as school director. Fraternally he is 
connected with the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows, and in religious affilia- 
tion belongs to the Baptist church. lie 
is a stockholder in the Farmers' Bank 
of Leonard and a member of its board of 
directors. TMiile his business is exacting 
and he has given it all the attention nec- 
essary to make a great success of it, he 
has not allowed it to absorb him wholly, 
but has given due and heli>ful attention 
also to the affairs of his township and 



county, always aiding in the promotion 
of every worthy enterprise for their 
benefit, and contributing his full share of 
zeal, enterprise and industry to acceler- 
ate their progress and raise the standard 
of living among their people, with an ar- 
dent desire to keep them in the forefront 
of progi-ess in every way as parts of one 
of the most enterprising and influential 
states of the American Union. 

MICHAEL HEESHEY. 

Although born in Canada and of a 
father who was also a native of that 
country, Michael Hershey, of Cherry 
Box, in this county, has passed almost 
the whole of his life in the United States 
and may properly be considered an 
American to all intents and purposes. 
His life began in 1843, and he is a son of 
Benjamin and Magdaleua (Dausman) 
Hershey, the father born in Canada and 
the mother in Germany. "V\Tien their 
son Michael was a very small boy the 
family moved to Indiana, where the 
father has passed the subsequent years 
of his life as a farmer. His principal oc- 
cupation in Canada was farming also, 
but in connection with his agricultural 
operations there he conducted a gi'ist 
and saw mill. Nine children were born 
in the family, five of whom are living: 
Benjamin, David, ^Michael, Martha and 
Salome. Their mother died on January 
11. 1872. 

Michael Hershey obtained his educa- 
tion in the district schools of Indiana, 
and after leaving school remained with 
his parents, working on the farm and as- 
sisting the family for a number of years. 
In 1870 he came to Missouri and located 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



639 



at Cherry Box, in Taylor township, this 
county, where he is still living. He has 
been continuously and successfully en- 
gaged in farming since his arrival in the 
county, and has made steady progress 
in his work of gaining a substantial com- 
petency for life. He owns and has under 
cultivation eighty acres of good laud, 
and the farm is well improved and 
highly productive. In 1869 he was united 
in marriage with Miss Maria Benner, a 
native of Pennsylvania. They have had 
nine children, six of whom are living: 
Allen, Magdalena, Jacob, Benjamin, 
Henry and Nancy. Fannie died August 
16, 1910. In politics the father is a Re- 
publican, but he has never taken a very 
active interest in political affairs. His 
religious connection is with the Mennon- 
ite church. 

MILTON PASCHAL OAKS. 

This enterprising and progressive 
farmer of Taylor township, in this coun- 
ty, whose success in life has been consid- 
erable and won altogether by his own in- 
dustry, thrift and business capacity, was 
born in Greene county, Illinois, in 1850, 
and came with his parents to Missouri 
in 1857. His father, Michael Oaks, was a 
native of Tennessee, as was also his 
mother, whose maiden name was Sarah 
Oaks. They had twelve children, of 
whom only two are living, Milton P. and 
his sister Etta, the wife of Samuel Win- 
drum, of Denver, Colorado, and these 
are the only living members of the fam- 
ily, as the parents are also deceased, the 
mother having died in 1868 and the 
father in 1877. He, after the dentli of 
his first wife married again, choosing 
Miss Jane Debord as his second wife. 



They had four children, but only their 
son Charles is living of that offspring. 

On coming to Missouri the family lo- 
cated in Bethel township, Shelby county, 
and there the parents passed the remain- 
der of their days engaged in farming. 
Their son Milton obtained a limited edu- 
cation in an old log sciiool house in 
Bethel township, and as soon as he left 
school began the career as a farmer, 
which he is still extending with increas- 
ing profit and esteem among the people. 
His farm contains eighty acres and is 
well improved and highly cultivated. It 
is fully equipped with the needed ap- 
pliances for its work, and is one of the 
comfortable and valual)le country homes 
of the township in which it is located. 
In connection with his farming opera- 
tions he carries on a nourishing live stock 
industry, which he manages with the 
same sedulous care and close attention 
that he bestows on his general farmnig. 

In 1871 Mr. Oaks was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Ellen Waite, a native of 
Shelby county. They have iiad four 
children, of whom three are living, their 
sons Walter Byron, Isaac Pierce and 
Milton Chester. In ]iolitics the father is 
a Reimblican, deeply interested in the 
welfare of his party and always zealous 
and effective in its service. He served 
on the school board more than five years, 
and in many other ways has been of 
great service to the township and county 
of his home. In religious connection he 
is allied with the Methodist church. He 
and his wife are regarded with respect 
and good will wherever they are known, 
and looked upon as oxemjilars of the best 
attril)utes of elevated and sterling Amer- 
ican citizenship. 



640 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



EDWARD PENDLETON ALEX- 
ANDER. 

Pursuing the even tenor of his way 
from year to year as a farmer of enter- 
prise and progressiveness, never ming- 
ling with the noisy affairs of the world, 
yet shirking no duty of citizenship, Ed- 
ward Pendleton Alexander, of Taylor 
township, in this county, has entitled 
himself to general regard and favor by 
his industry, ability and success as a 
farmer and his uprightness and high 
character as a man. His valuable farm 
of 190 acres is altogether his own acqui- 
sition, as he had nothing to start with 
and has had no favors of Fortune to help 
him along since, and all that it is he has 
made it. It stands forth, therefore as a 
monument to his business ability, good 
judgment and persevering diligence in 
the work that has been allotted to him. 

Mr. Alexander was born in Monroe 
county, Missouri, on October 18, 1855, 
and is a son of John Morris and Cordia 
(Gaines) Alexander, natives of Ken- 
tucky. The father came to Missouri 
when he was yet a young man, and in 
tliis state he put in practice the lessons 
in advanced and progressive farming 
that he had learned in that of his na- 
tivity. He and his wife were the parents 
of ten children, five of whom are living : 
James Thomas, whose home is in Shel- 
bina; William Franklin, Edward P. and 
Samuel L., now at Denver, Colorado, all 
of whom are prospering in their several 
callings. Both parents died in the same 
year, 1901. 

Edward P. Alexander attended the 
district schools in his boyhood and youth 



when he had opportunity, but his advan- 
tages were limited. He left school at an 
early age, and after working on the 
home farm with his father and assisting 
the family for a few years, he began 
farming on his own accoimt and has been 
doing so ever since. He was married in 
1880 to Miss Louisa Cook, a native of 
Kentucky. Four of their five children 
are living: John W., Cordia Frances, 
Samuel Grover and Goldie. The father 
is a Democrat in politics and belongs to 
the Christian church. 

JOSEPH FRANKLIN COCKRUM. 

Conducting a prosperous and progres- 
sive business as a general farmer and 
stock man in Taylor township, this 
count}^, and representing in his charac- 
ter, habits and attention to every duty 
the best attributes of the people of his 
locality, Joseph F. Cockrum is justly de- 
serving of the universal esteem he en- 
joys as a citizen and the high position he 
holds as a farmer. He is a native of Mis- 
souri, born in Knox county, in 1853. His 
parents, James and Elizabeth (Shaw) 
Cockrum, were farmers also. The father 
was born and reared in Kentucky and 
came to Missouri when he was a 3'oung 
man. He located in Knox county and 
followed farming and raising stock there 
until a few years ago, when he retired 
from all active pursuits. There, also, he 
met with and married his wife, who died 
in 1857. He is still living and is now 
eighty-eight years of age. They were the 
parents of seven children, six of whom 
grew to maturity. Four besides Joseph 
Franklin are living: Ange, the wife of 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



641 



Andrew Figli, who has her home in the 
state of Washington; Orlette, the wife 
of E. Hammond, a resident of Knox 
county, Missouri; Viva, the wife of W. 
Hammond; and Thomas, who also lives 
in Taylor township, Shell)y county. 

Josejoh F. Cockrum was educated at 
Washing-ton district school, in Knox 
county, and has been a farmer ever since 
he left school. For some years he 
worked with his father on the home farm 
and assisted the family. In 1882 he came 
to Shelby county and located in Taylor 
township, where he now lives. Born and 
reared on a farm and well trained to its 
requirements, he desired no other occu- 
pation than that of farming, and this he 
has followed with gratifying results ever 
since his advent into this county, and in 
connection with it has for years carried 
on a thriving industry in raising live 
stock for the markets. His valuable 
farm comprises 120 acres and is all un- 
der advanced cultivation and his live 
stock business is in proportion. 

On March 25, 1875, Mr. Cockrum was 
united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth 
Boggs, a native of Kansas. They had 
two children, their son Gilbert E. and 
their daughter Carrie L., who is now the 
wife of Henry Hersher, a resident of 
Shelby countj'. Their mother died in 
1885, and in 1887 the father married 
again, choosing as his partner on this 
occasion Miss Sarah Street, who was 
liorn and reared in Knox county, where 
he also had his nativity. They have no 
children. In politics Mr. Cockrum is a 
Democrat, but he has never been an ac- 
tive partisan and has never held a politi- 
cal office or sought one. He is a member 
of the Christian church. 



WILLIAM STALCUP. 

Although he is now prosperous and in- 
creasingly successful as a farmer and 
stock man, William Stalcup, of Jefferson 
township, Shelby county, started in life 
seriously handicapped by disaster. He 
was made an orphan when he was but 
five years old by the death of his father 
on the battlefield of Centralia, Missouri, 
where he was fighting for his convictions 
as a man and citizen. The son then grew 
to manhood amid the desolation and 
prostration of all enterprise in the com- 
munity of his home brought al)out by the 
Civil war and the predatory sectional 
strife that preceded it. But he was made 
of stern stuff and the very trials of his 
lot toughened the fiber of his nature for 
the contest before him. And he has suc- 
ceeded in the contest with adverse cir- 
ciunstances because he meant to and 
made the required efforts for the accom- 
plishment of his purpose. 

Mr. Stalcup was born in the township 
in Shelby county in which he now lives, 
his life beginning in 1859. He is a son of 
James and Mary (Byars) Stalcup, na- 
tives of Virginia, both of whom came to 
this state in early life. The father was a 
small boy when his parents moved the 
family to Missouri and found a new 
home in Jefferson townshi]), Shelliy 
county. He grew to manhood here and 
obtained a limited education in the dis- 
trict schools, or such as there were dur- 
ing his boyhood and youth. When he 
left school he turned his attention to 
farming, at that time the principal occu- 
pation of the men in this part of the 
state, and he adhered to his chosen voca- 
tion throughout the remainder of his life. 
He was a soldier in the Civil war and 



642 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



was killed in the battle of Centralia, Mis- 
souri, in 1864, as has been noted. His 
widow is still living and resides in Clar- 
ence, Missouri. She and her husband 
were the parents of five children, two of 
whom are living, AVilliam and his brother 
G. W. 

AVilliam Stalcup attended the country 
school near his home and through its 
ministrations secured a limited educa- 
tion. His opportunities for scholastic 
training were limited, owing to the con- 
ditions of the country and the circum- 
stances of the family, which forced him 
to look out for himself in the struggle 
for advancement at an early age. Since 
leaving school he has been engaged in 
farming, working under great difficulties 
and with veiy slow approaches toward 
his desired goal at first, but with increas- 
ing speed and greater prosperity after a 
few years as the harvest from his per- 
sistent industry and self-denying frugal- 
ity began to ripen and be gathered in. 
He now owns a valuable farm of more 
than 130 acres, which is well imjaroved, 
fully equipped with the necessary ap- 
pliances for its vigorous and profitable 
cultivation and provided with all the re- 
quirements of an attractive and comfort- 
able country home. 

On this farm he has for many years 
carried on general farming operations 
on a high plane of skill and enterprise, 
and also conducted a thriving live stock 
industry of good proportions and ele- 
vated character. In 1897 he embarked in 
a general mercantile enterprise at Maud 
in this coimty, but this was not to his 
taste, and after hanging to it three years 
he sold the business and returned to his 
farm. He was married in 1883 to Miss 



Jennie Phillips, a native of Monroe 
county, Missouri. They have had four 
children, three of whom are living, Geor- 
gianna, James Thomas and Ethel. In 
political affiliation the father is a Repub- 
lican, and although he has never sought 
or desired a political office, he has always 
been active in the service of his party. 
For the good of the community he served 
on the school board about six years, but 
he prefers at all times the honorable post 
of private citizenship. He is a member 
of the Northern Methodist church. 

AV. J. KESNER. 

During the last eighteen years this 
prosperous farmer and stock man of Jef- 
ferson township has been one of the use- 
ful factors in promoting the industrial 
and civil life of Shelby county, adding to 
its wealth in agricultural products and 
live stock, helping to advance it in public 
impi-ovements and aiding in sustaining 
and strengthening all its moral, educa- 
tional and material interests. He has 
been faithful to the duties of citizenship 
and while pushing forward his own in- 
terests has always lent a willing hand to 
the advancement of those of the town- 
ship and county in which he lives. 

Mr. Kesner was born on September 
30, 1867, in Lewis county, Missouri. He 
is a son of G. AA^ and Mary J. (Allison) 
Kesner, the former a native of Indiana 
and the latter of A^irginia. The father 
came to Missouri in 1840 and located in 
Lewis county. There for a period of 
forty-two years he was actively engaged 
in farming and raising stock, with stead- 
ily increasing prosperity in a worldly 
way and a strengthening hold on the con- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



643 



fidence and esteem of the people. In 
1882 he moved his family to Monroe 
county, where he followed the same pur- 
suits. He died on October 4, 1899. 

His marriage with Miss Mary J. Alli- 
son occurred in 1856 and by this mar- 
riage became the father of six children, 
all of whom are living. They are Louisa, 
George W., Lina, Maggie, W. J. and 
Sarah. The mother is still living and 
makes her home in Clarence, Shelby 
county. Although advanced in years, 
she bears the burden of age well, being 
\dgorous and enei'getic, and meeting the 
daily duties of life now with the same 
spirit of devotion and determination 
that characterized her in the earlier 
period of her residence in this state, 
when her experiences were largely those 
of a pioneer. 

Her son, W. J. Kesner, who is the im- 
mediate subject of this brief memoir, be- 
gan his education in the district schools 
of Lewis county and completed it in 
those of Monroe county, to which he 
removed with his parents in 1882. After 
leaving school he had the usual experi- 
ence of country boys in Missouri at that 
time, working on his father's farm and 
assisting the family, learning in practical 
labor the art of farming and acquiring a 
knowledge of human nature by mingling 
freely in the social life of the neighbor- 
hood, thus gaining all the while addi- 
tional strength and equipment for the 
battle of life in whatever phase it might 
present itself. 

In 1890 he moved to Macon county and 
entered the contest for himself as a 
farmer and raiser of stock. Two years 
later he came to Shelby county and took 
up his residence in Clarence, and in the 



vicinity of that town he has ever since 
been actively and prosperously engaged 
in farming and raising stock. He now 
owns and cultivates eighty acres of land 
and has his farm brought to a high state 
of development in its productive capacity 
and well improved with good buildings 
and all the other appurtenances of a com- 
fortable country home of the present day 
requirements. 

On February 12, 1891, Mr. Kesner was 
united in marriage with Miss Lily B. 
Craig, of Monroe county, in this state. 
They have one child, their daughter 
Nora Belle. In politics the father is a 
Eepublican, in fraternal life he is an Odd 
Fellow and a Modern Woodman, and in 
religious affiliation a member of Mission- 
ary Baptist church. 

REUBEN LEE TAYLOR. 

Reuben Lee Taylor, one of the pros- 
perous, progressive and successful farm- 
ers of Jefferson township, in this county, 
has passed the whole of his life to this 
time (1910) in the county, and has been, 
for many years, one of the leading forces 
in its progress and development. He has 
helped to expand and augment its indus- 
trial and commercial power, the moral, 
social and educational agencies at work 
among its people have had the benefit of 
his services in counsel and active sup- 
port and its advancement in the way of 
public improvements has always been 
aided by him to the full extent of his 
ability and influence. 

Mr. Taylor is a native of Clay town- 
shii?, Shelby county, where he was born 
in 1863. His parents, F. P. and Mary H. 
(Henniger) Taylor, have registered 



644 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUXTY 



themselves among the most sterling and 
useful citizens of the county and won the 
regard and good will of the people by 
their acceptable lives and faithful atten- 
tion to every duty in private and general 
life. The father, who was a son of Major 
Taylor, of Kentucla-, was born in that 
state, but was brought by his parents to 
Missouri before he was a year old. He 
was reared in Shelby county and edu- 
cated in the primitive schools of his day. 
After reaching years of maturity he be- 
gan farming, and this pursuit he adhered 
to until his death in 1902. 

Being a tirm believer in the doctrine of 
state rights, when the Civil war began he 
enlisted in the Confederate army, and 
during the whole of our sanguinary sec- 
tional strife was in the field in defense 
of his convictions. He was through life 
an adherent of the Democratic party in 
politics and one of its most active and 
zealous supporters. He lived acceptably 
long years among this people, winning 
their favor by his valor in war and his 
industry, frugality and deep and service- 
able interest in the general welfare of 
his community in peace. 

The niotber, who is a daughter of "Wil- 
liam and Susan (Kimball) Henniger, is 
still living at the age of seventy-eight 
years. Her marriage with Mr. Taylor 
took place in 1849, and they became the 
parents of nine chiklren, eight of whom 
are living: Nathan R. ; Susan E., the 
wife of H. C. Cross ; William M. ; Vir- 
ginia, the wife of W. E. Warren, of 
Great Falls, Montana ; Francis H., whose 
home is in Montana ; Reuben L., the sub- 
ject of this memoir; Milton H., another 
resident of the state of Montana ; and 



Hattie Belle, the wife of Charles Carroll, 
of this county. 

Reuben Lee Taylor attended the dis- 
trict schools of Shelby countj' and also a 
school of higher grade in Clarence. He 
selected the vocation of farmer and rais- 
ing stock early in life as his work for a 
livelihood, and as soon as he completed 
his scholastic training according to the 
opportunities available to him entered 
upon it with energy and a determination 
to make a success of it. He now owns 
and cultivates 300 acres of first rate land 
and carries on a flourishing business in 
raising stock in counection with his farm- 
ing operations, and in both he has real- 
ized the determination of his youth, be- 
ing at this time one of the most success- 
ful and progressive farmers in the town- 
ship in which he lives. 

In the public affairs of his township 
and county he has at all times taken an 
active and serviceable interest, giving 
his energetic and effective support to all 
undertakings for the improvement of the 
region of his home and stimulating oth- 
ers to exertion by the force of his exam- 
ple. He has been a member of the school 
board during the last ten years and for 
the greater part of the period its presi- 
dent. His religious connection is with 
the Southern Methodist church, and in 
the congregation to which he belongs he 
is one of the most active and zealous 
workers. He served as superintendent 
of its Sunday school for fourteen years, 
and in many other ways has been poten- 
tial in promoting its welfare and extend- 
ing its usefulness. In political adher- 
ence he has always been an ardent Demo- 
crat, with an earnest interest in the sue- 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



645 



cess of his party and great efficiency in 
working for it. 

In 1885 Mr. Taylor was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Hollie Evans, a daugh- 
ter of William and Susan (Byars) 
Evans, and a native of Clarence in this 
county. She and her husband have had 
seven children, five of whom are living, 
William E., Perry P., Paul E., Reede L. 
and Frank, all of whom are as well 
thought of in the community as their pa- 
rents. 

ISAAC NOAH BAKER. 

"Contentment, like the speedwell, 
grows along the common, beaten jjath." 
So sang a celebrated English poet long- 
years ago, and so has life been found by 
Isaac N. Baker, one of the prosperous, 
enterprising and progressive farmers of 
Jefferson township, in this county. He 
has not sought the world's acclaim in 
official station of high or low degree. He 
has followed the beaten path of his 
chosen vocation as a farmer and stock 
man, and in its congenial duties and good 
returns for his labor he has found con- 
tentment, comfort and substantial prog- 
ress, along with the opportunity to do 
much for the advancement of the town- 
ship and county of his home and the gen- 
eral welfare of the people living in them, 
for he has been true to their every inter- 
est. 

Mr. Baker is a native of Randolph 
county, Missouri, born on October 21, 
1844. His father, whose name also was 
Isaac, was a native of Kentucky and 
came to Missouri at an early day, being 
one of the first three settlers in what is 
now Randolph county. His early home 
in this state was among the Indians, and 



as he always treated them honestly and 
fairly, they were always friendly in their 
dealings with him and held him in high 
esteem. The mother, whose maiden name 
was Jane McCully, was a native of Ten- 
nessee. They were the parents of twelve 
children, all of whom grew to maturity. 
Five of them are living : Charles Thomas, 
who has his home at Albany, Texas; 
Nancy, the widow of William Tedford, 
who resides in California ; Fanny, the 
wife of James Davis, of Moberly, Mis- 
souri ; Sarah, the wife of Jefferson Snod- 
grass, of Oklahoma ; and Isaac Noah, the 
subject of this writing. The mother died 
in 1871 and the father in 1896. They 
were highly respected and looked upon 
as among the most worthy and estimable 
citizens of the community in which they 
lived. 

Their son Isaac Noah obtained his ed- 
ucation in the district schools of his na- 
tive county, and after completing it 
worked on the home farm with his father 
and assisted the family for a number of 
years. He then set up for himself on a 
farm and engaged in general farming 
and raising live stock in Randolph coun- 
ty for a time. In 1877 he moved to Shel- 
by county and took up his residence in 
Jefferson township. He has an attrac- 
tive and valuable farm and gives it close 
attention, intelligent supervision and 
skillful cultivation. It is well imjjroved 
with good buildings and fully equipped 
with everything needed for its work ac- 
cording to the most aiijiroved modern 
methods in agriculture. The stock indus- 
try conducted on it is also well managed 
and as extensive as tlie circumstances 
and good business sense will permit, and 
both are profitable to their owner. 



646 



HISTORy OF SHELBY COUNTY 



Mr. Baker was married in 1875 to Miss 
Sarah E. Bishop, a native of the town- 
shiiJ in which she now lives and a daugh- 
ter of James Bishop, an esteemed resi- 
dent of that township. Six of the nine 
children born of the nnion are living. 
They are : Nettie, Earl, Mabel, Eoy, El- 
sie and Lulu May. The father is a firm 
and faithful member of the Democratic 
party in politics and always a zealous 
and effective worker for its success. He 
served acceptably and with credit four 
years as a member of the school board, 
giving his official duties careful, judi- 
cious and intelligent attention, and mak- 
ing the schools feel the impulse of the 
vigor of his management and his cordial 
interest in their welfare and advance- 
ment. In religious faith and allegiance 
he is a Methodist. No residents of the 
township are more favorably known or 
more highly esteemed than he and his 
wife, and they are well worthy of the 
general regard and good will bestowed 
upon them in all parts of the county 
where they are known. 

JOHN HENRY MAUPIN. 

School teacher, soldier and merchant, 
John Henry Maupin, of Maud, Jefferson 
township, in this coimty, has shown his 
adaptability to circumstances and re- 
quirements, and the able and faithful 
manner in which he has performed his 
duties in every occupation demonstrates 
that he is not only a man of adaptability, 
but one of ability, too, and well qualified 
for usefulness in any employment which 
he consents to take or any line of en- 
deavor in which he chooses to engage. 
He has made a good record in every field 



of action in which he has labored, and his 
demonstrated progressiveness as a citi- 
zen and worth as a man have won for 
him the high regard of the people of the 
whole township and other parts of the 
county in which he is known. 

Mr. Maupin was born on July 31, 1836, 
in Augusta county, Virginia. His father, 
James Dabney Maupin, and his grand- 
father, Daniel Maupin, were born and 
reared in Albemarle county, Virginia. 
The father came to Missouri in 1851, 
bringing his family with him and locat- 
ing in Monroe county, where he was suc- 
cessfully and profitably engaged in farm- 
ing until his death in 1889. His wife, 
whose maiden name was Dorinda V. 
Kennerly, was also born and reared in 
Virginia. She was a dai;ghter of Reu- 
ben and Tabitha (Wyatt) Kennerly, the 
former a native of South Carolina and 
the latter of Virginia. The children bom 
in the Maupin household of this union 
were nine in number, and all grew to ma- 
turity. Six of them are living: Harriet 
K., the wife of P. M. Hanger, of Shel- 
bina ; Mary C, the wife of L. D. Kenner- 
ly; John Henry, the subject of this me- 
moir; Tabitha, the wife of Nathaniel 
Threlkeld, of Shelbina; and Benjamin F. 
and Lee K. Their mother died in 1878. 
The father was a life-long Democrat of 
the most reliable kind, and was always 
active in the service of his party, but he 
never aspired to office or desired any of 
the preferments of i^ublic life or the hon- 
ors or emoluments of official station. 

John Henry Maupin obtained his edu- 
cation in part in the country schools of 
Virginia and this state, and completed it 
at the college in Paris, Missouri. After 
completing the course of instruction at 



HISTORY OF SHELBY'COUNTY 



647 



that institution he taught school for 
about twentj^-five years, his service in 
this caiiacity being continuous except 
during the years of the Civil war and 
two years afterward. In June, 1861, he 
enlisted in the Confederate army. Com- 
pany F, Missouri Infantry, and was soon 
afterward daring death on the battle- 
field. He took part in the engagements 
at Boonville, Pea Ridge, Newark, Kirks- 
ville and numerous others, but, while 
some of the fields on which he fought 
were very sanguinary, he escaped un- 
hai'med. He rose to the rank of lieuten- 
ant of his company and made a credit- 
able record for gallantry on the field and 
fidelity to duty in every phase of the 
service. 

At the close of the war he returned 
home and a little while later went West, 
where he engaged in freighting for about 
two years. He then came back to his 
Monroe county, Missouri, home and 
again engaged in teaching school. In 
1883 he came to Shelby county and took 
up his residence at Maud, in Jefferson 
township, where he has ever since lived. 
Here he opened a drug store, which has 
occupied him from that time imtil the 
present. He has built up a fine trade, 
won the confidence of the people in his 
business and made his store one of the 
established and most appreciated insti- 
tutions in the mercantile life of the 
township. 

Mr. Maupin was married in 1887 to 
Miss Betty Harris, a daughter of 
Thomas H. and Betsy (Maupin) Harris, 
natives of Albemarle county, Virginia, 
but long esteemed residents of this coun- 
ty at the time of the marriage. The one 
child born of the union is now deceased. 



In his political faith and allegiance Mr. 
Maupin is a pronounced Democrat and 
has at all times been very energetic and 
effective in the service of his party. He 
served as a justice of the peace for more 
than six years and as a member of the 
school board about the same lengih of 
time, rendering service satisfactory to 
the people in each capacity, winning a 
good name for himself as a public offi- 
cial and contributing as such essentially 
to the welfare and advancement of the 
township. In fraternal life he is con- 
nected with the Masonic order. In all the 
relations of life Mr. Maupin has lived ac- 
ceptably and uprightly. He has been 
very successful in business and always 
taken an earnest and helj^ful interest in 
all that concerns the good of the region 
in which he lives, by whose people he is 
held in the highest esteem. 

FRANCIS MARION DALE. 

Although not a native of Shelby coun- 
ty, Francis Marion Dale, one of the sub- 
stantial and progressive farmers of Jef- 
ferson township, has been a resident of 
it for a period of almost thirty years, 
and is therefore well known to its people 
and also knows them well. He has been 
an active and effective worker for the 
improvement and progress of the town- 
ship in which he lives, and given close 
and energetic attention to the welfare 
of the whole county in many ways. By 
entei'ing into the spirit of their enter- 
prise and aspirations and taking his 
place and doing his full share of the 
work of promoting their interests he has 
won the confidence, esteem and lasting 
good will of the people and become truly 



648 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



representative of all that is best among 
them. 

Mr. Dale was born on January 16, 
1849, in Randolph county, Missouri, and 
is a grandson of Philip and son of Jacob 
Dale. The latter was also a native of 
Missouri and one of its prosperous and 
progressive farmers. He was an active, 
working Democrat during the whole of 
his mature life, zealous in the service of 
his party and also in reference to every 
form of public improvement of the local- 
ity in which he had his home. The 
mother was Miss Minerva Chitwood be- 
fore her marriage to Mr. Dale, a daugh- 
ter of Chedwick Chitwood, who was born 
and reared in Virginia and came to this 
state in early life. Mr. and Mrs. Dale 
had seven children, six of whom are liv- 
ing: Francis M., John William, George 
A., Mary Catherine, the wife of Samuel 
Bland, of Randolph county, Missouri; 
Sarah N., the wife of William Faught; 
and Lucy Margaret, the wife of Frank 
Powers, of La Plata, Missouri. The 
mother of these children died in 1863, 
and the fatjier afterward married Miss 
Nancy Hines. Six children were born of 
this union, all of whom are living. They 
are: Thomas B., Lewis F., James M., 
Elizabeth, Barbara and Alice. The 
father died in 1875. 

Francis Marion Dale was reared on 
his father's farm in Randolph county 
and obtained his education in the dis- 
trict schools of tliat county, but his at- 
tendance at them was irregular and only 
for a few years. After leaving school he 
worked on farms in the neighborhood of 
his home as a hired hand for a time. He 
then engaged in o])erating a saw mill for 
two years. At the end of that time he 



turned his attention to farming for him- 
self in Randolph county, remaining there 
and following that occupation eight 
years. In 1882 he moved to Shelby 
county and located on the farm in Jeffer- 
son township on which he now lives. He 
has been actively, successfully and pro- 
gressively engaged in farming ever since, 
and in connection with his farming oper- 
ations has carried on an extensive and 
profitable general live stock industry. 
His fai'm comprises 120 acres of supe- 
rior land and he has it all under cultiva- 
tion, well improved and brought to a 
high state of productiveness. 

Mr. Dale was married in December, 
1871, to Miss Maria J. Hmnphrey, a 
daughter of J. J. and Lavinia J. Hum- 
phrey, who came to this state from North 
Carolina. The children born in the Dale 
household numbered eight, and six of 
them are living: Homer C, Oliver C, 
Charles D., Beulah F., the wife of Wil- 
liam J. Stewart, of Maud, in this county ; 
Lora and Hugh J. In politics the father 
is a Democrat, and in religious connec- 
tion a member of the Christian church. 
To both party and church he is true and 
faithful, working for the welfare of each 
to the limit of his circumstances and ren- 
dering both excellent service. He served 
as a member of the school board more 
than ten years. He has been successful 
in his business, upright in his living, 
energetic and square in his citizenship 
and true and zealous in every other rela- 
tion in life, and is imiversally esteemed 
as a man. 

SAMUEL GORBY. 

Having reached the patriarchal age of 
four-score years and over, the reflec- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



649 



tions of this venerable man are mainly 
retrospective. But the retrospect must 
be pleasing, as he has lived worthily and 
usefully, and has contributed essentially 
and considerably to the betterment of 
the people among whom his years of ac- 
tive industry were passed, and is now 
giving an excellent example of true and 
upright manhopd and elevated citizen- 
ship to the men younger than he is who 
know him, all of whom hold him in the 
highest esteem for what he is, what he 
has been and what he has done. 

Mr. Gorby is a native of Stark county, 
Oliio, born on May 4, 1829. His father, 
Jonathan Gorby, was Itorn in the state of 
Delaware. He was a farmer all his life 
from youth, following this occupation in 
the state of his nativity and that of his 
adoption. In early life he moved to 
Ohio, when that now great common- 
wealth was a part of the Northwest Ter- 
ritory, and was still lai'gely under the 
dominion of its savage tenants, who had 
held it in thrall for many generations, 
with much of its soil still virgin to the 
plow and the greater part of its vegeta- 
tion only the wild growth of unpruned 
Nature. He created a good farm in the 
wilderness and on it reared to maturity 
all of his nine children. His wife, whose 
maiden name was Anne Davis, was a na- 
tive of Virginia. Of their otf spring their 
son Samuel is the only one now living. 
The mother died in 18.3.3 and the father 
in 1841. 

Samuel Gorby attended the primitive 
country schools in the vicinity of his 
home and later received instruction from 
a private tutor. His education was far 
in advance of that of his youthful com- 
panions, and after its comi^letion he 



taught school in his native state for a 
number of years. In 1854 he followed 
the tide of migration to the farther AVest 
and came to Missouri. Locating in the 
city of Hannibal, he resumed his voca- 
tion as a school teacher and followed it 
there for about three years. In 1857 he 
moved to Shelby county and in Jefferson 
township he continued his ministrations 
to the welfare of his fellow men as 
a teacher, doing something in this line 
also in Monroe county. In all he was en- 
gaged in teaching for a period of forty 
years. After giving up his work as a 
teacher he devoted his energies for a 
long time to dealing in live stock. But 
for a number of years he has not been 
engaged in any active work. The rest 
he is enjoying has been well earned, and 
it is a source of great gratification to his 
countless friends and admirers that he 
has good health and continued vigor to 
enjoy the ease which is now his portion. 
His long day of toil was full of adven- 
ture and excitement. It laid him under 
many privations and exactions. It 
brought him during a great part of it 
only the crude and homely comforts of 
the frontier. But his evening is mild and 
benignant, and all the more agreeable 
and enjoyable because of the strenuous 
life he was called upon to endure during 
its period of labor — the heat and biarden 
of the day. 

Mr. Gorby was married in 1854 to Miss 
Eliza Firestine, also a native of Ohio. 
They had seven children, all of whom 
grew to maturity, but only two are now 
living. They are Ethel, the wife of John 
Swearingen, of California, and John, 
who lives in this county. Their mother 
died in 1884, and in 1888 the father mar- 



650 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



ried a second wife, his choice on this oc- 
casion being Mrs. Mary (McCloskey) 
Benson, who was born in Pennsylvania. 
Mr. Gorbj' has been a lifelong Democrat 
in political relations and always an ar- 
dent and conscientious worker for the 
success of his party. He served as a 
member of the school board many years 
and rendered other valuable service to 
the public in many lines of useful effort. 

OLIVER COMMODOEE PERRY. 

Clay townshi]:) in this county numbers 
among its people some of the most en- 
lightened and progressive farmers in the 
county — men who are up to the period in 
every feature of their business and make 
themselves examples to others by the 
manner in which they conduct it, show- 
ing hitherto unexpected possibilities in 
this part of the state in the way of agri- 
culture and developing them to their 
limits, greatly to their own advantage 
and the benefit of the county and all its 
inhabitants. 

In this number is to be classed Oliver 
Commodore Perry, who lives in Clarence. 
He has a model farm south of Clarence 
and shows himself to be a model fanner. 
He is a native of Shelby county, born in 
Salt River township on December 7, 
1846, and a son of Richard and Mary 
(Selsor) Perry, natives of Virginia. The 
father came to Missouri in 1833 and lo- 
cated in Shelby county, where he was ac- 
tively and successfully engaged in farm- 
ing for a number of years. He was a 
very religious man and took great inter- 
est in church work. He and his wife 
were the parents of ten children, five of 
whom are living: Martha, the wife of 



the late Nathan Byars, of Taylor town- 
ship, this county ; Joseph S., whose home 
is in Knox coimty; Oliver C, a resident 
of Clarence ; Delilah, the wife of the late 
John Colvert, of Oklahoma City; and 
Katharine, the wife of Wesley Sharpe, 
of California. Their mother died in 1866 
and their father in 1889. 

Oliver C. Perry obtained a limited ed- 
ucation in the primitive country schools 
of his boyhood and youth, and after com- 
pleting their course of study went to 
Montana, where he was engaged in gold 
mining for two years. At the end of that 
period he returned to Shelby county con- 
tent to seek his advancement in life in 
the peaceful pursuit of tilling the soil 
and leave to others the strenuous life of 
the mining camp, and all other forms of 
adventurous and exciting existence. He 
turned his whole attention to farming in 
Jefferson township. But of late years 
lias turned it over to his son Floyd. He 
also deals in improved real estate and 
owns considerable property in Clarence. 
He pushes his business with every atten- 
tion to its most exacting requirements, 
keeping himself well posted as to values 
and the trend of the mai-ket. In both 
lines of endeavor he has been very suc- 
cessful. 

Mr. Perry has also taken an eai-nest 
and helpful interest in the welfare of his 
township and county. He is a member of 
the Democratic party in his political affil- 
iation and an effective and determined 
worker for the success of the organiza- 
tion. He rendered the community excel- 
lent service as a member of the school 
board for more than ten years, and in all 
other ways has done his duty faithfully 
as an upright and patriotic citizen. In 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



G51 



religious connection he is allied with the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, South. 

On December 19, 1867, Mr. Perry was 
united in marriage with Miss Ellen Ran- 
dol, a native of Shelby county, Missouri. 
They have had seven children, six of 
whom are living : John H., a resident of 
Siloam Springs, Arkansas; Emma, the 
wife of Dr. Gaines, of Las Animas, Colo- 
rado ; Ora, the wife of Edward Phillips, 
of Hannibal; Floyd, whose home is in 
Jefferson township; Leo, the wife of N. 
P. Turner, of Eaton, New Mexico ; and 
Harry, who is living at Clarence. The 
parents are accounted as among the 
worthiest and most estimable citizens of 
Clarence, and the other members of the 
family, in their several locations and sta- 
tions in life are daily exemplars of the 
lessons and training inculcated around 
the family fireside wliile they remained 
under the parental rooftree and the con- 
trol of their parents. 

JAMES RICHARD BAKER. 

For more than half a century this pro- 
gressive farmer and representative citi- 
zen of Jeft'erson township has lived in 
Shelby county, actively engaged in one 
of its leading industries, heljnng to pro- 
mote its welfare and contributing es- 
sentially to the consequence and bene- 
fit of its people. He is a native of this 
state, born in Monroe county on Sep- 
tember 25, 1842, and Ijecame a resident 
of Shelby county in 1857, coming to the 
county with his father at the age of fif- 
teen years. 

His parents. Carter and Luc in da 
(Crim) Baker, were born and reared in 



Kentucky, and came to Missouri soon 
after they reached their maturity. The 
father located in Monroe county and 
farmed there until 1857, when he moved 
to Shelby county. Here he continued 
his farming operations until his death, 
in August, 1866. His widow survived 
him thirty years, dying on June 18, 1896. 
They were the parents of ten children, 
five of whom are living: Sarah Eliza- 
beth (Newton), James Richard, Sam- 
uel E., Elijah B., and Carter A. At the 
beginning of the Civil war the father 
enlisted in a company of Missouri in- 
fantrj'. But he never got far into the 
active military operations of the great 
contest, participating only in a few 
skirmishes. 

His son, James Richard Baker, grew 
to manhood on his father's farm in Mon- 
roe and Shelby counties and obtained his 
education in the district schools. At 
the beginning of the war, when he was 
but nineteen years old, he enlisted in 
Company D, Sharpshooters, and for a 
time saw very active and strenuous serv- 
ice. He took part in the battles of Lex- 
ington, Kirksville, Pleasant Hill and a 
number of others. But early in his mili- 
tary career he was captured by the other 
army, and from then until the close of 
the war languished in a military prison. 
At the close of the memorable conflict 
he was released from ]irison and dis- 
charged from the service at Shreveport, 
Louisiana. He then returned to his Mis- 
souri home and resumed his farming op- 
erations, beginning a career for himself 
in this line of endeavor, which he is still 
expanding. He now owns 189 acres of 
good land, nearly all of which is under 



652 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



cultivation and liiglily productive. The 
farm is also well improved with good 
buildings and fully provided with all 
that is necessary for conducting the 
work on it according to the most ap- 
proved modern methods in advanced ag- 
riculture. In addition he carries on an 
extensive and flourishing live stock in- 
dustry, and in both lines of enterprise 
he has prospered. 

Mr. Baker has been one of the lead- 
ing men in his township in jDromoting 
public improvements and contributing 
to the general welfare of the locality. 
He served on the school board more 
than twenty years, and in numerous 
other ways has helped to build up and 
develop the township and county in all 
their moral, mental and material inter- 
ests. He is a pronounced Democrat in 
his political allegiance and always zeal- 
ous in the service of his party. For a 
continuous period of eight years he was 
town constable, and his services to the 
community in this office were very ac- 
ceptable to the people and highly ap- 
proved. In religious connection he is 
allied with the Baptist church. 

In 1885 Mr. Baker was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Ellen I. Johnston, a 
daughter of George and Theresa John- 
ston, who came to Missouri from Vir- 
ginia. Mrs. Baker is, however, a native 
of Shelby county. She and her husband 
are the parents of two children, their 
sons, George C. and Everett E. All the 
members of the family stand well where 
they live and enjoy in a marked degree 
the regard and good will of the people 
around them in all other places where 
thev are known. 



JAMES C. OEK. 

This prosperous and progressive 
farmer of Jefferson township, in this 
county, has been tried by severe disci- 
pline in disaster and has never flinched 
or shown want of high manly spirit. The 
stern arbitrament of the sword in civil 
war ruled against him, and laid upon him 
unusual hardships, but he endured his 
fate courageously and showed, even in 
his darkest and most oppressive experi- 
ences, the qualities of persistency and 
determination of purpose which have 
made him successful in his subsequent 
operation and won him his high stand- 
ing in the regard of his fellow men 
wherever he is known. 

Mr. Orr was born in Randolph county, 
Missouri, in December, 1843. His pa- 
rents, John B. and Eliza Anne (Hutton) 
Orr, were born and reared in Virginia, 
and there also they were married. Soon 
after their marriage they moved to ]Mis- 
souri, arriving in 1843, and took up their 
residence amid the wild natural luxu- 
riance of Randolph countj', which was 
largely unpeopled and still in a state of 
semi-wilderness at the time. Here they 
won a farm from the waste, which they 
develoi)ed and improved into a comfort- 
able country home, and on which they 
reared to maturity four of their six chil- 
dren, all of whom are still living. They 
are: Elizabeth, the wife of Davis Mitch- 
ell; James C, the subject of this brief 
review ; William M., who resides in Mad- 
ison, Missouri ; and John N., whose home 
is in ^lacon, ^Missouri. The mother died 
in 1854 and the father in 1884 at the age 
of sixty-nine years. They enjoyed in a 
marked degree the respect and good will 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



653 



of all who knew them and were num- 
bered among the most worthy and esti- 
mable citizens of the locality in which 
they lived and faithfully labored for 
themselves and the common weal. 

Their son, James C. Orr, obtained a 
limited education in the coiintry schools, 
which were primitive and of narrow 
range in his day, attending those of Mon- 
roe county. In 1862 he enlisted in the 
Confederate army, but did not see much 
active service. In one of the earliest en- 
gagements in which he took part he was 
captured and thereafter he languished in 
a Federal prison for about eight months. 
At the end of that time he took the oath 
of allegiance to the United States gov- 
ernment and was released. 

After his release from prison he re- 
turned to his Missouri home and at once 
began farming, the occupation in which 
he has been actively and successfully en- 
gaged ever since. In the spring of 1874 
he moved to Shelby county and located 
in Jefferson township, where he now re- 
sides. He has a fine farm of 100 acres, 
which is well improved, skillfully culti- 
vated and has l)eeu brought to a high 
state of productiveness. Every detail of 
its oiDerations passes under his strict 
personal supervision, and all depart- 
ments of the work are made to pay 
triltute to his intelligence and care. 

In the affairs of the township and 
county Mr. Orr has always taken a lively 
and helpful interest, aiding every good 
project for the development and im- 
provement of the region, and doing his 
part toward liuilding up and strengthen- 
ing all its institutions. He is a Proliibi- 
tionist in politics, but has not, for many 
years, taken a very active interest in 



public affairs. He served as a member 
of the school board upward of ten years 
and as a road overseer for two. In re- 
ligious faith he is allied with the Holi- 
ness sect. 

Mr. Orr was married in April, 1870, 
to Miss Frances H. Hutchinson, a native 
of Monroe county, Missouri. They have 
had seven children, six of whom are liv- 
ing: Emma, the wife of N. B. Kiei-gan, 
of St. Louis; George W., Owen, E. S., 
C. H. and H. W. In all the relations of 
life the father has shown himself worthy 
of esteem and he is held in liigh regard 
by all classes in the township and 
throughout the county. 

WILLIAM H. BOSTWICK. 

Successful in all his business under- 
takings, faithful to every duty of good 
citizenship, taking an earnest and help- 
ful interest in everything that will pro- 
mote the general welfare of his town- 
ship and county and minister to the com- 
fort, convenience and general well being 
of their people, William H. Bostwiclc, 
one of the leading farmers and stock 
men of Jefferson township in this 
county, is well worthy of the high rank 
he holds as a truly representative man 
in the county and the universal esteem 
bestowed upon him by all classes of the 
peo]ile here and elsewhere, wherever he 
is known. 

Mr. Bostwick was born in Rushville, 
Indiana, in October, 1861. He is a son 
of Thomas and Martha (Jerrel) Bost- 
wick, the former a native of Maryland 
and the latter of Delaware. They left 
the region of their birth in early life 
and found a new home in what were 



654 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



then the wilds of Indiana, or at least a 
portion of that great state which was 
far behind its present condition of de- 
velopment and advancement. In 1868 
the family moved to Missouri and lo- 
cated in Shelbyville, this county, where 
the father was energetically and suc- 
cessfully engaged in farming to the end 
of his life, which came in October, 1899. 
His wife died on August 8, 1890. They 
were the parents of five children, two 
of whom are living, "William H. and his 
brother. Rev. E. E. Bostwick, of Kirks- 
ville, Missouri. 

William H. Bostwick obtained his ed- 
ucation in the schools of Shelbyville, 
assisting in the work on his father's 
farm while attending them. He made 
early choice of his occupation for life, 
selecting the line of effort with which 
he was familiar and to which he was 
trained. As soon as he left school he 
began the career as a farmer and stock 
man which he is still extending with 
such gratifying success and prosperity. 
He has steadfastly adhered to it during 
all the succeeding years, and has found 
his faith in it as a means to advance- 
ment fully justified. His present farm 
comprises 678 acres of excellent land, 
and his live stock industry is in propor- 
tion to it. Both are managed with good 
judgment, extensive knowledge of the re- 
quirements and possibilities in the case, 
and both bring in handsome returns for 
the labor and care bestowed upon them. 
The farm is one of the most highly im- 
proved and best developed in the town- 
ship, and is considered one of the most 
valuable as well as one of the most at- 
tractive. 

Mr. Bostwick has been a wheel horse 



in all matters of public improvement for 
the region in which he lives, giving his 
active and intelligent support to every 
worthy project for its advancement, and 
helping in every way he could to 
strengthen and intensify the mental and 
moral agencies at work among its peo- 
ple. He has been a member of the school 
board during the last eight years, and 
the schools have felt to their advantage 
the impulse to elevation and progress 
given by his quickening hand. In relig- 
ious afiSliation he is connected with the 
Baptist church, and is a leader in the 
congregation to which he belongs, serv- 
ing as one of its deacons and taking a 
very important part in all its worthy un- 
dertakings. In politics he is allied with 
the Republican party, in which, also, he 
takes a zealous interest and to which he 
renders effective and appreciated serv- 
ice. 

On February 25, 1886, he was married 
to Miss Nanny Y. Eaton, a daughter of 
John and Nancy Eaton, the former born 
in Hannibal, Missouri, in 1832, of Ken- 
tucky parentage, and the latter a daugh- 
ter of old Virginia families. Mrs. Bost- 
wick, however, was born and reared in 
Shelby county. She and her husband 
are the parents of nine children, all of 
whom are living. They are: Nanny R., 
Mary E., John E., Elsie, A. Audrey, 
Willye, Lloyd K., Louveta G. and Lotus 
V. All the members of the family are 
held in high regard and well deserve 
the hold they have on the good will of 
the people. 

LANIUS LANDRON WHEELER. 

The interesting subject of this brief 
review comes of heroic strains, and while 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



655 



Ms own life to this time (1910) lias been 
passed amid the pursuits of peaceful in- 
dustry, he has nevertheless shown by 
his successful management of his affairs 
and his quick and complete use of every 
opportvmity offered for his advantage, 
as well as in his mastery of adverse cir- 
cumstances, that he has inherited the 
traits of his ancestors and is well worthy 
of the name he bears. He was born at 
Lentner, in this county, in 1860, and has 
passed the greater part of his subse- 
quent life in the county. 

The paternal grandfather, Mason 
Wlieeler, was born and reared in Mason 
county, Kentucky, and received his name 
from that county. He came to Missouri 
when he was twenty-one years of age 
and located in Marion county, where he 
lived and farmed for a number of years. 
He then moved to Monroe county, and 
there he followed farming until early in 
the forties, when he became a resident 
of Shelby couuty, locating on a farm 
near Bacon Chapel. There he died at 
a ripe old age, respected and revered 
by all who knew him. In religious con- 
nection he was a Methodist, holding his 
membership in the congregation of 
Bacon Chapel church. He was a safe 
leader in church and neighborhood af- 
fairs and one of the most forcible and 
eloquent men in this part of the state 
in prayer. He was also effective as an 
exhorter. 

His son, Jolm Anderson Wheeler, the 
father of Lanius L., was born in Marion 
county, Missouri, in 1835, and, like his 
father, w^as reared on a farm and fol- 
lowed farming all his life. He was mar- 
ried in 1852 to Miss Fannie Robb, a na- 
tive of Tennessee. They had eight chil- 



dren, seven of whom are living: Lanius 
L., Thomas S., Hugh B., John Wesley, 
Arthur E., Ethel and Olive Leone. In 
1862 the father joined the Confederate 
army and was with Coloner Porter in 
his famous raid. At the battle of Kirks- 
ville a musket ball passed through the 
crown of his hat and killed his brother- 
in-law, Thomas Robb, who was standing 
by his side. After the Porter raid, Mr. 
Wheeler surrendered, with others of the 
command, to Colonel Benjamin at Shel- 
liyville, who demanded of him his horse, 
his gun and forty dollars in money. On 
receiving these. Colonel Benjamin re- 
leased him on parole, but required that 
he report to Provost Marshal Dick 
Strahn, at Palmyra, Missouri, every 
thirty days. 

After the war Mr. Wheeler returned 
to Monroe county, Missouri, and took 
up his residence near Duncan's Bridge, 
where he lived for a number of years. 
He then moved back to Shelby county 
and located on a farm near Bacon's 
Chapel, where he passed the remainder 
of his life, dying in March, 1893. His 
widow is still living and has her home 
in Kansas City, Missouri. He achieved 
a considerable degree of success in life, 
althougti his career was cut short at the 
early age of fifty-eight, rising to promi- 
nence and influence in his community 
and being well and favorably known 
throughout the northeastern part of the 
state. 

His son, Lanius L. Wheeler, obtained 
his education in the district schools and 
worked on his father's farm while at- 
tending tliem. He became a farmer on 
his own account after he left school, and 
has persevered in that occupation dur- 



656 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COU^■TY 



ing the greater part of his subsequent 
life. But for a number of years he was 
engaged in mining in the farther "West, 
and still has holdings of value in gold 
mines at Telluride, Central City and 
Gunnison, Colorado. His present farm 
in Clay township, this county, comprises 
260 acres of superior land, and in con- 
nection with its cultivation he carries on 
an extensive and thriving live stock in- 
dustry. Both lines of his operations are 
profitable because of the intelligence, 
skill and vigor with which he manages 
them, and his success has made him one 
of the leaders in these industries in 
Shelby county. 

Mr. Wheeler was married in 1883 to 
Miss Cora Allen Hirrlinger, a daughter 
of William and Magdalena (Doerrer) 
Hirrlinger, who were born in Darm- 
stadt, Germany, but Mrs. Wheeler is a 
native of Shelbyville. She and her hus- 
band became the parents of seven chil- 
dren, five of whom are living: Nora, the 
wife of H. A. Jordan, whose home is in 
Clarence, this county ; EUza A., the wife 
of Peter Neuschafer ; and V i n c i 1 
O 'Bryan, Virgil L. and John Leland. 
In politics the father is a pronounced 
and ardently interested Democrat, al- 
ways true to his party and at all times 
ready to render it any service in his 
power. He has served on the school 
board for moi-e than six years, and in 
many other avenues of beneficial effort 
has helped to build up the township and 
county of his residence and promote the 
welfare of their people. Fraternally he 
is connected with tlie ]\lo(lern Woodmen 
of America, and in religious affiliation 
he and his wife are allied with the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church. His half cen- 



tury of life has been judiciously em- 
ployed in furthering his own interests 
and at the same time in essential con- 
tributions to the welfare of others. It 
has been eminently useful and upright, 
and given him an opportunity to exem- 
plify in all relations the attributes of 
elevated and serviceable American citi- 
zenship. 

JUSTUS F. ECHTEENAOHT. 

For a full quarter of a century this 
progressive and enterprising farmer and 
stock man has been a resident of Mis- 
souri, and has lived and labored in the 
township and county of his present resi- 
dence. He is therefore well known to 
the people among whom his daily life of 
usefulness and sterling citizenship has 
l)een passed, and the universal esteem 
they give him is based on well deter- 
mined grounds of merit, and is neither 
speculative nor sentimental. He has 
demonstrated the quality of his man- 
hood and all who know him have found 
it worthy of their confidence and regard. 

Mr. Ecliternacht is a native of Lan- 
caster county, Pennsylvania, one of the 
rirhest and most prosperous counties in 
tb ' United States, where he was born o" 
October 10, 1861, a grandson of Joliu 
Ecliternacht, who came to thi^-. countr> 
from England, where he was born au^ 
grew to manhood. On his arrival in tli 
United States he located in Laucastf » 
county, Pennsylvania, and there iris so 3 
Williiuii, the father of Justus F., wa 
born, reared and. at the end of a long 
life of usefulness, buried in the regi i 
hallowed by his labor and devotion to 
the welfare of its people. He was a 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



657 



farmer and gave all his energy to the 
pursuit of his chosen vocation except 
what was required for the service of 
his community. His wife, whose maiden 
name was Caroline Dean, was born at 
Lititz in the same county. They had 
eight children, seven of whom are liv- 
ing: Albert, Sophy, Justus F., Mary, 
Emma, Harry and George. The father 
died at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1900. 
The mother is still living and has her 
home at Adamstown, in her native 
county. 

Their son, Justus F., grew to man- 
hood in the county of his nativity and 
was educated in the district schools of 
Adamstown there. After leaving school 
he worked on a farm in the neighborhood 
of his home for a number of years, get- 
ting a start in life by slow accretions 
gathered by industry and carefully hus- 
banded in frugal living. In 1885 he 
came to Missouri and located on a farm 
in Clay township, Shelby county, on 
which he is still living, and has bestowed 
his labor from that time to tb^ present 
(1910). The farm comprises eighty 
acres and is devoted to general farming 
and stock-raising. It is well improved, 
highlj' productive and skillfully ailti- 
vated. By close attention to every de- 
tail of it- work and the application of 
" broad intelligence to its operation, Mr. 
'^' Echternacht has made it one of the 
'^' model farms of t^^e township in which 
^ it is located and greatly enhanced its 
'' value since he became its owner and laid 
upon it the persuasive hand of his pro- 
' gressive husbandry, his good judgment 
' in its management and his energj^ in 
tilling it. 

But he has not allowed its require- 



ments to wholl}' absorb him or lessen his 
interest in the welfare of the locality. 
To every worthy project desig-ned to 
promote the development and improve- 
ment of his township and county he has 
given ready, judicious and effective aid, 
making himself one of the most useful 
citizens of the region, and winning the 
commendation of all its people by his 
energy and breadth of view in its be- 
half. He is an active, working Demo- 
crat in political faith and allegiance, but 
he has never sougbt or desired a polit- 
ical office of any kind, either by election 
or appointment. His fraternal affilia- 
tion is with the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows and his religious connec- 
tion with the Christian church. He has 
always taken a great and helpful inter- 
est in church work, and for years has 
been one of the trustees of the congTe- 
gation to which he belongs. On Decem- 
ber 17, 1886, he was united in marriage 
with Miss Belle Prange, a native of Clay 
township, this county, and a daughter 
of John and Kate (Heiman) Prange, 
who were born and reared in Germany. 
Six children have been born of the 
union, all of whom are living. They 
are : Voneda, the wife of W. Lee, of At- 
lanta, Missouri, and John, Katie and 
Carrie (twins), Albert and George. 

JACOB GABLE. 

Born and reared in Germany, and 
trained to usefulness in the stx'enuous 
and frugal industrial life of that great 
and progressive empire, Jacob Gable, 
one of the prosperous and progressive 
farmers of Clay township, in this county, 
brought to the United States inherited 



658 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



qualities of industry and thrift and a 
knowledge of agricultural pursuits that 
were bound to make him successful in 
any farming region, and particularly so 
in one so bountiful in returns for well 
applied labor as the region in which he 
found a new home. 

His life began in the Fatherland on 
February 9, 1861, and he obtained his 
education in the schools of his native 
locality, southern Germany. He is a son 
of Philip and Catherine (Keller) Gable, 
also natives of Germany. They had five 
children, only two of whom are living, 
Jacob and his older sister, Elizabeth. 
Jacob remained at home with his par- 
ents until he reached the age of twenty- 
two. Then, in 1883, he and they set out 
for the United States, buoyed up with 
high hopes of prosperity and advance- 
ment in the land of promise to which 
they looked with longing. But much 
of what they expected was to be denied 
them. The father died at sea during the 
voyage across the Atlantic, and the 
mother followed him to the other world 
within the same year. 

His double bereavement left the son 
at the dawn of his manhood a lone exile 
in a foreign land, untried in the ways 
of the world and thrown wholly on his 
own resources. He took up his burden 
bravely and during the eai-ly years of 
his struggle for a foothold bore it with 
fortitude and constancy of purpose. 
Having taken up his residence in Clay 
township, this county, he went to work 
as a farm hand wlierever he could get 
employment, and as he was industrious 
and skillful he soon found his sei'vices 
in demand and had no difficulty in se- 
curing ijlaces. He saved his earnings, 



and after a few years of faithful labor 
for others, he bought a farm of 120 acres 
for himself, and since then he has been 
devoting all his energies to its develop- 
ment and improvement. He has been 
very successful in his operations, rising 
by steady progress to consequence in a 
worldly way, and to good standing and 
influence among the people of his town- 
ship and county. 

His farm is well improved, vigorously 
and skillfully cultivated and very pro- 
ductive. It yields good revenues in re- 
turn for the labor and care he gives it, 
and has grown into considerable value 
as the result of his judicious manage- 
ment and the general progress of the 
township, which he has greatly helped to 
promote and foster. For he has been 
attentive to all the duties of citizenship 
and borne his full share of the labor and 
care incident to pushing forward the de- 
velopment and imjirovement of the lo- 
cality in which he lives, giving to the 
interests and institutions of the land of 
his adoption the same loyal devotion he 
gave to those of the land of his nativity 
while he remained a resident of it. 

On March 6, 1890, Mr. Gable was 
united in marriage to Miss Maggie 
Prange. They have four children : Alice, 
Anna, the wife of Louis Neuschafer, 
John and Ruth. The father is a devout 
and consistent member of the Christian 
church, taking an active and heljiful in- 
terest in all the worthy undertakings of 
the congrogatiou to which he belongs 
and aiding it all the while to larger and 
more comprehensive usefulness. He and 
his wife, and the other members of the 
family are regarded as sterling in all 
the relations of life, and enjoy in a 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



659 



marked degree the respect and good will 
of all classes of the people around them 
and of all others who know them. They 
live acceptably and are faithful in the 
performance of every duty in private 
life and neighborhood affairs. 

STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS WHITE. 

In the life and family history of this 
successful, enterprising and progressive 
farmer and stock man, and also more 
truly a prominent and representative 
citizen of Clay township, Shelby county, 
Missouri, there are many features of 
unusual interest and significance. He 
is a grandson of Thomas and Jemima 
(Cooley) White, natives of Kentucky, 
who came to Missouri and located in 
Howard county in 1818, where his 
father, Mark White, was born in 1825. 
The latter was a farmer and money 
lender, and achieved great success in all 
departments of his business, being jjos- 
sessed of an estate worth more than 
$100,000 at the time of his death, which 
occurred on December 9, 1896. 

Soon after attaining his majority he 
moved to Macon county, Missouri, where 
he became an extensive dealer in farm 
lands and other real estate, and was 
very successful in his operations. He 
was an uneducated man in the teachings 
of tlie schools, but he had strong com- 
mon sense, excellent judgment and great 
shrewdness in selecting his opportuni- 
ties and making the most of them. He 
was also very energetic and industrious, 
making every hour of his time tell to his 
advantage, both for his own benefit and 
that of the township and county in which 
he lived. 

By his first marriage, which took place 



in 1845, and was with Miss Serelda 
Wright, a daughter of Summers and 
Naomi (Coffey) Wright, he became the 
father of nine children, six of whom 
grew to maturity and are living. They 
are: William C, a resident of Macon 
county; Mollie, the widow of the late 
John B. Eichardson; Melissa, the wife 
of J. A. Banta, whose home is at Macks- 
ville, Kansas; Stephen A. Douglas, the 
immediate subject of this memoir; Ben- 
jamin F., who resides in Kansas City, 
Missouri; and Amy, the wife of William 
Gates, of Macon county, in this state. 

The mother of these children, who was 
brought from Kentucky an infant in the 
arms of her mother, who made the trip 
on horseback, died on September 9, 1879, 
at the age of fifty-one years, and in 1880 
the father married a second time, choos- 
ing as his companion on this occasion 
Mrs. Hattie J. Dixon, a daughter of 
Peter Ryther and wife, natives of Ohio. 
Two children were born of the father's 
second marriage: Serelda, who is now 
the wife of Ralph Talbot, of Macon 
county, and Mark, who is also a resident 
of that county. 

Stephen A. Douglas White attended 
schools in Macon City, St. James Acad- 
emy and the State Normal School at 
Kirksville. When he left school he at 
once entered upon his life work as a 
farmer and live stock man, and to this 
he has steadfastly adhered to the pres- 
ent time (1910), although for about eight 
months in 1898 he was also engaged in 
mercantile life. But this was not agree- 
able to him, and at the end of the period 
mentioned he sold his intei'ests in it and 
again gave his whole attention to his 
farm and stock industry. In 1901 he 



660 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



moved to Shelby county, and here he 
has continued his extensive operations 
in farming and raising stock, his prin- 
cipal product in the latter line of busi- 
ness being high-bred mules. He is also 
a stockholder in the Clarence Oil, Gas 
and Mineral Company and a member of 
its board of directors, and as such has 
an important bearing on its transactions 
and is potential in promoting its success 
and prosperity. 

In December, 1880, Mr. White was 
united in marriage with Miss Laura 
Powell, a daughter of Henry M. and 
Itelia (Mathis) Powell. Of the four 
children born of the union, thi'ee are 
living: Delia, the wife of Joseph Low- 
ery, of Macon county; Alice, the wife 
of Harry AV. Orr, of Shelby county ; and 
Valley, the wife of Hood Shearon, of 
Narrows township, Macon county. Their 
mother died in Se]itember, 1889, and on 
February 17, 1892, the father married 
again, being united at this time with 
Miss Lillian Davis, a daughter of Dur- 
born and Adelia ("Wallace) Davis, na- 
tives of New Hampsliire. Her grand- 
parents on her mother's side were Reu- 
ben and Anna (Howard) Wallace, the 
fonner a native of New Hampshire and 
the latter of New York, the Wallace line 
in the family being of Scotch ancestry 
and belonging to the distinguished fam- 
ily of that name renowned in Scottish 
history, both for the great achievements 
of some of its members and the lamen- 
table tragedies that followed them 
through the ingratitude of those whom 
they served so faithfully. 

Durborn Davis, the father of the pres- 
ent Mrs. White, was a soldier in the 
Civil war, belonging to the Thirteenth 



New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry. 
He became a resident of Clarence, in 
this county, in 1865, just after the close 
of the war, when the now prosjierous 
little citj' was but a hamlet on the un- 
broken prairie. Here he developed and 
improved a good farm, and aided greatly 
in building up the town and surround- 
ing country and making them progres- 
sive and prosperous. He died on March 
13, 1899. 

Mr. and Mrs. (Davis) White have had 
three children, two of whom are living. 
They are their daughters, Ruth Blanche 
and Rose. In politics the father adheres 
firmly and faithfully to the Democratic 
part}% and is a very earnest and effec- 
tive worker in its behalf. He has given 
the community more than ten years of 
excellent service on the school board, 
and his party vigor and inspiration as 
central Democratic committeemen for 
six years. In fraternal relations he is 
allied with the Masonic order, its ad- 
junct, the Order of the Eastern Star, 
and the Knights of Pythias. No citizen 
of the county stands better in public es- 
teem, and none is more worthy of high 
standing. His grandmother AVright was 
a remarkable woman, and lived to be 
within a few days of one hundred years 
of age. 

SAMUEL H. MEARS. 

Born and reared to the age of seven- 
teen in Indiana county, Pennsylvania, 
and having acquired habits of industry 
and thrift in the strenuous and intense 
industrial life of that great common- 
wealth, Samuel H. Mears, of Clay town- 
ship in this county, transferred to the 
almost virgin soil of Missouri the train- 



HISTGEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



GGl 



ing for usefulness as a farmer which 
his native state had given him, and has 
enlarged his efforts and quickened his 
pace in the practice of it in accordance 
with the advantages which the better 
land and more extensive opportunities 
of this region have afforded him for the 
use of his attainments. 

His life began in 1851, and he is a 
grandson of James Mears, who was born 
in Ireland and came to the United States 
in his boyhood. He located in western 
Pennsylvania, and after leaving school 
engaged in farming there. His son, 
John S. Mears, the father of Samuel S., 
was a native of Westmoreland county, 
Pennsylvania, and after reaching his 
maturity moved across the line into In- 
diana county, where he followed farming 
for a livelihood until 1868. In that year 
he came to Missouri, bringing his family 
with him and taking up his residence in 
Macon county. His wife's maiden name 
was Martha Lucas, and she was a native 
of Indiana county, Pennsylvania, and a 
daughter of Patrick Ijucas, an esteemed 
resident and prosperous farmer of that 
county. She and her husband were the 
parents of eight children, six of whom 
are living: John L., whose residence is 
at Moberly, Missouri ; Mary J., the wife 
of J. C. Foster, also a resident of Mo- 
berly; Alexander S., who lives in Los 
Angeles, California ; Samuel H., the sub- 
ject of this brief review ; William T., of 
Moberly, Missouri, and Francis M., of 
Macon county. The father died in Feb- 
ruary, 1875, and the mother in October, 
1909, at the age of eighty-seven years. 

Their son, Samuel H. Mears, began 
his education in the district schools of 
his native county and finished it in those 



of Macon county, Missouri. After com- 
pleting their courses of instruction he 
taught school for a time, then moved to 
Shelby county and became a farmer. He 
has followed agricultural pursuits ever 
since, and with increasing success and 
prosperity. He became a resident of 
this county in 1873, and here he has 
passed the subsequent years of his life, 
busily and profitably engaged in his 
chosen vocation and rising to promi- 
nence and influence among the people 
of his township. His farm comprises 
eighty acres of first rate land and is well 
cultivated. He has it improved with 
commodious and comfortable buildings, 
and by his vigor and skill in the man- 
agement of its operations has brought 
it to a high state of development and 
fruitfulness. In connection with his 
farming he carries on a thriving indus- 
try in raising and feeding live stock for 
the markets. 

In political connection Mr. Mears is a 
pronounced Democrat and a zealoiis and 
effective worker for the success of his 
party. He served as district clerk 
twelve years and was a school director 
for upwards of twenty. In religious af- 
filiation he and his wife are allied with 
the Primitive Baptist church, and he has 
long been an ardent and effective church 
worker, serving as deacon of the congre- 
gation to which he belongs during the 
last fifteen years, and in many other 
ways pi'omoting the usefulness and 
power of the organization, serving also 
as its clerk for twelve years. On De- 
cember 3, 1873, he was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Lucinda Burk, a native 
of Illinois and daughter of James and 
Nancy (Sims) Burk. Six children were 



663 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COTJXTY 



born of the union, four of whom died 
in infancy. The two living are Wellie 
J. and Homer E. The father has always 
taken a lively interest in all matters per- 
taining to the welfare of his community 
and is one of the representative men of 
the county. 

HENEY SCHWADA. 

Among the prosperous and up-to-date 
farmers of Clay township in this county, 
none is entitled to more consideration 
for enterprise, progressiveness and suc- 
cess wrung from adverse conditions than 
Henry Schwada, whose fine farm of 120 
acres in section 17 shows up to all ob- 
servers as a monument to his industry, 
skill and frugality, as a possession, and 
his vigor, intelligence and advanced 
ideas as a farmer. It is one of the at- 
tractive and valuable rural homes of the 
township and is altogether the result of 
his own unaided efforts, as he acquired 
it and has made it what it is by hard 
work and excellent management. 

Mr. Schwada was born in Indiana in 
1862 and brought by his parents to Mis- 
souri and the county and township in 
which he now lives when he was but two 
years old. He is a son of John and 
Clara (Neaman) Schwada, natives of 
Germany, who came to the United States 
in early life and located for a time in 
Indiana. In 186-1 they moved to Mis- 
souri, and found a new home in Clay 
township, Shelby county. Here they 
were for many years actively and profit- 
ably engaged in farming and raising live 
stock. They had nine children, eight of 
whom are living: Henry, Flora, Mary, 
John, Frank, Louisa, Leslie and Will- 



iam. The parents are still living and 
have their home in Clarence. 

Their son Henry obtained his educa- 
tion in the district schools and worked 
on his father's farm while attending 
them. As soon as he grew to manhood 
he began fanning on his own account, 
and this line of industry has been his 
constant occujjation ever since. His 
pi'esent farm com^jrises 120 acres, as has 
been noted, and is highly developed and 
very pi'oductive. In connection with his 
farming operations Mr. Schwada carries 
on a flourishing live stock business, 
which is also active and profitable be- 
cause he makes it so by his enterprise, 
intelligence concerning it and good man- 
agement. 

He was married on October 11, 1899, 
to Miss Rosa Griswold, a daughter of 
George W. and Ellen (Hayford) Gris- 
wold, and has two children, his sons, 
Nolan and Lowell. In politics he is a 
Democrat, but has never taken a very 
active part in public affairs. His relig- 
ious allegiance is given cordially to the 
Evangelical church, and he and his wife 
are zealous advocates of its interests 
and effective workers for its advance- 
ment. It is not to be inferred that be- 
cause Mr. Schwada is not an active pai'- 
tisan and takes but little interest in po- 
litical affairs, he is indifferent to the 
welfare of his township and county. On 
the contrary, he has been energetic and 
ardent in the support of every worthy 
enterprise for their advancement, and 
has cheerfully and capably borne his full 
share of the burden incident to promot- 
ing their development and improvement, 
and multijilying conveniences and com- 
forts for their people. No undertaking 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



663 



designed for their benefit has ever lacked 
his aid or bad to call twice to secure it. 
To every dutj^ of citizenship he has been 
true and faithful, and the people who 
have had the benefit of his services show 
that they apjireciate what he has done 
by the general esteem in which they hold 
him and the members of his family. He 
stands well wherever he is known, and 
that is almost all over the county, and is 
fully deserving of the regard and good 
will so freely accorded him. He has also 
been successful in his own behalf and is 
one of the substantial and well-to-do 
farmers and stock men of his township. 

GEORGE W. HARVEY. 

Although not a native of Missouri, 
George W. Harvey, of Clay township, 
has been a resident of the state and the 
county and township in which he now 
lives ever since he was five years old, 
a ]")eriod of forty-one years. From his 
youth he has been actively engaged in 
one of the leading pursuits of the people 
of his locality, and, while seeking his 
own advancement, has given due atten- 
tion and valued help in promoting the 
development and improvement of bis 
community and the whole of the sur- 
rounding country, exemplifying in his 
daily life the best attributes of sterling 
and elevated American citizenship. 

Mr. Harvey was born at Joliet, Illi- 
nois, on July 10, 1864. He is a son of 
Joseph and Naomi (Turner) Harvey, 
the former a native of Lowell, Massa- 
chusetts, where he was born on July 2, 
1837, and the latter born and reared in 
Illinois, and a daughter of George and 
Rebecca Turner, natives of England. 



They were married on December 20, 
1858, and had six children, but George 
W. and his brothers, Edward and Prank, 
are the only ones living. Their mother 
died on October 28, 1881, and the father 
married a second wife in 1884, Miss Al- 
cinda Thrasher, a native of Monroe 
county, Missouri. They also had six 
children. The father was educated in 
the district schools, and after leaving 
them began a successful career as a 
farmer, which he is still extending. In 
J line, 185.3, he moved to Illinois, where 
he worked at various occupations, but 
chiefly farming. He became a resident 
of Shelby county, Missouri, in August, 
1869, and here be has been energetically 
engaged in farming and raising live 
stock ever since, with continued success 
and increasing jjrosperity. He is a 
Democrat in political faith and alle- 
giance, and served as a justice of the 
peace eight years. His religious connec- 
tion is with the Evangelical church. 

Mr. Harvey's paternal grandparents 
were Samuel and Hannah (Fellows) 
Harvey, the former a native of England 
and the latter of the state of Vermont. 
The grandfather came to the United 
States a young man and located in Mas- 
sachusetts. He was a machinist and 
worked at his trade all the mature years 
of his life, having learned it before at- 
taining his majority. He was first mar- 
ried to a Miss Jones, a native of Mas- 
sachusetts, and by that union became the 
father of three children. His second 
marriage, which was with Miss Hannah 
Fellows, resulted in one child, their son 
Joseph, the father of George W. Sam- 
uel Harvey's last wife died in 1864, and 
the end of his life came in 1869. 



664 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



George AV. Harvey obtained his edu- 
cation in the district schools of Clay 
township, Shelby county, and as soon as 
he left school began farming, following 
the occupation he had acquired a knowl- 
edge of on his father's farm during his 
boyhood and youth. He began with 
practicallj' nothing and now has a fine 
farm of eighty-seven acres, well im- 
proved and highly productive. He also 
carries on a general industry in raising 
live stock for the markets, and this he 
makes profitable, as he does his farming 
operations, by the energy with which he 
conducts it and the intelligence and skill 
with which he manages it. He is one of 
the substantial and progressive farmers 
and stock men of liis township and is 
esteemed as one of its best and most use- 
ful citizens, as he takes an active inter- 
est and leading part in everything in- 
volving the enduring welfare and ad- 
vancement of the township and county 
of his home, allowing nothing of value to 
languish for the want of his aid. 

On April 16, 1885, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Mary Huett, a 
daughter of Adolphus K. and Sarah 
Anne (Ingersoll) Huett, natives of "Wis- 
consin. 

Mr. and Mrs. Harvey have had sis 
children. Three of them died in infancy. 
The three living are: Grace; Agnes, the 
wife of Orval Dehner, and Voda May. 
In political relations the father is a pro- 
nounced Democrat and an ene-rgetic and 
effective worker for the welfare of his 
party. He has not sought or desired of- 
ficial station, but has served as a mem- 
ber of the school board four years for 
the benefit of the community. He is re- 
garded as a man of strong character, 



considerable intelligence and strict in- 
tegrity, and is generally looked upon as 
one of the leading and most representa- 
tive men in Clay township. He well de- 
serves the public confidence and esteem 
he enjoys, having earned it by his up- 
right and serviceable life, and his inter- 
est in all that pertains to the substan- 
tial good of his township and county. 

HEKEY F. GLAHN. 

The interesting subject of this brief 
memoir, whose farm and live stock in- 
dustry near Hager's Grove are among 
the most prosperous and progressive in 
Clay township, this county, is not a na- 
tive of the United States, but has been 
a resident of this country and of Mis- 
souri from the time when he was two 
years old. He may therefore be con- 
sidered a Missourian to all intents and 
purposes, for all his knowledge of the 
world has been acquired in this state, 
and all his activities from his boyhood 
have been expended in the work of build- 
ing it up and expanding its commercial, 
industrial, political and intellectual 
power. And during our Civil war of un- 
happy memory he showed his devotion 
to the Union by shouldering his musket 
and meeting its opponents in battle 
array on many fields of carnage. 

Mr. Glahn was born in Prussia, Ger- 
many, on February 6, 1841, and is a son 
of Christian and Mary Antoni (Wand) 
Glahn, also natives of Prussia. They 
brought their family to the United 
States in 1843 and came at once to Mis- 
souri, locating in Marion county. The 
father was a wagon maker and worked 
at his trade in that county, and also 



HISTOKY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



665 



farmed, until 1866. In that year he 
moved to Shelby county and made his 
new home in Chiy township, where he 
followed farming and raising live stock 
exclusively, and there he passed the re- 
mainder of his life, dying in 1888. He 
was very successful in his operations 
and accumulated a large fortune for this 
part of the country. The mother died in 
1888. They were the parents of twelve 
children, five of whom are living: Henry 
F., Gustave and Joseph (twins), Ben- 
jamin, and Katharine, the wife of Irwin 
Lathrop, of Joplin, Missouri. 

Henry Glahn obtained his education 
in the district schools of Marion county, 
and after completing their course of in- 
struction began farming for himself. 
But he was not allowed a long period of 
peaceful pursuit of this industry. The 
Civil war began in a short time after he 
went to farming, and on August 22, 1862, 
he enlisted in Company G, Thirtieth 
Missouri Infantry, and was soon after- 
ward at the front in the midst of hostili- 
ties. He took part in the battles of 
Jackson, Arkansas Post and Blakely, 
and a number of other engagements of 
greater or less importance, including the 
siege of Vicksburg. During this mem- 
orable siege he was one of the eighty- 
four resolute ])atriots who volunteered 
for the disastrous attack on Fort Hill, 
which was a forlorn hope from the be- 
ginning. 

After the close of the war Mr. Glahn 
returned to his Shelby county, Missouri, 
home and resumed his farming opera- 
tions. He has continued them without 
interruption to the present time (1910), 
and has been very successful in carrying 
them on. His present farm comprises 



170 acres of good land, is well improved 
and cultivated with every care and at- 
tention that intelligence, good judgment 
and advanced methods can apply to the 
work. His live stock industry is also 
extensive and profitable, for it is man- 
aged in the same way as the general 
work on the farm. Mr. Glahn ranks 
among the leading and most judicious 
farmers and stock men in his townsliij), 
and the good results of all his efforts 
fully entitle him to the rank he holds. 

On October 22, 1868, he was united in 
marriage with Miss Elizabeth Jane 
Price, a daughter of James and Sarah 
(Stewart) Price, natives of Kentucky, 
who came to Missouri in 1860 and lo- 
cated in Macon county. Eleven children 
were born of the union, three of whom 
died in infancy. Those who are living 
are: Harvey E., whose home is in this 
county ; Dora, the wife of William Fore- 
man; Daniel Webster; George W^illiam; 
Julius Samuel; Charles Henry; Rosa 
Helen, the wife of Louis Clair, and Rus- 
sel Marion, who is attending school at 
Kirksville, with a view to a business or 
professional career. 

In political faith and allegiance the 
father is an ardent Republican and an 
earnest worker for the success of his 
party in all campaigns. He served on 
the school board for a period of eight 
years, not, however, as a partisan, but 
as a good citizen, and for the benefit of 
the community, and he rendered excel- 
lent service, giving the schools an im- 
pulse to progress which sprang from his 
own enterprising and progressive spirit. 
His fraternal relations are with the 
Grand Army of the Republic, in which 
he has always taken a great interest and 



666 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



a very active and prominent part. He 
is now the chief mustering officer for 
the state of Missouri, and officer of the 
day in the post to which he belongs at 
Clarence. He is also a past-commander 
and has been state and national aide-de- 
camp. His fervor in devotion to the or- 
ganization, like that of many other vet- 
erans who are members of it, seems to 
grow in intensity as the years pass and 
its fast-fading ranks melt away. So, 
also, does his interest in and zeal in be- 
half of the Christian church, of which 
he and his entire family have long been 
devout and consistent members, and he 
a leader in the congregation to which he 
belongs, taking an active part in all its 
worthy and commendal)le work. In all 
the requirements of good citizenship he 
has measured up to the highest stand- 
ard, giving his community the best serv- 
ice and example he has been capable of. 
The people of the township and county 
are well advised of this fact, and of all 
else that is creditable in his record, and 
they esteem him accordingly, holding 
him to be one of the best and most useful 
men among them. 

LEWIS CASS STOVER. 

Successful, prosperous and highly pro- 
gressive as a farmer and stock man, 
long a valued mem])er of the local school 
board, for many years an elder in his 
chui-ch, and at all times deeply and serv- 
iceably interested in public affairs and 
the development and improvement of the 
township and county of his home, Lewis 
Cass Stover, whose fine farm of 120 
acres, near Clarence in Clay township, 
this county, is one of the choice ones in 



that locality, has proven himself to be 
a very useful citizen and altogether 
worthy of the confidence and esteem of 
his community, which he enjoj's in full 
measure. 

Mr. Stover was born in September, 
1848, in Hannibal, Missouri, and is a son 
of Jacob and Polly (Baker) Stover, both 
natives of Maryland. The father came 
to Missouri in 1833 and located in Han- 
nibal. He was a blacksmith and for a 
number of years operated the largest 
))lacksmithing establishment in Hanni- 
bal. His marriage with Miss Polly 
Baker, a daughter of Alexander Baker, 
took place in 1843. They had three chil- 
dren, but their son, Lewis Cass Stover, 
is the only one of them living. His 
mother died in June, 1851, when he was 
but three years old, and in 1855 his 
father went to Texas, where he remained 
eleven years. While there he married 
a second wife. Miss Mary Race, a Ken- 
tuckian by nativity. They also had 
three children. In 1866 the father re- 
turned to Missouri, and here he re- 
mained imtil his death in 1886. 

Left largely to his own resources in 
boyhood and youth, Lewis Cass Stover 
realized early in life that he had only 
his own capabilities to look to for ad- 
vancement among men and success in 
life. He attended the public schools in 
his native city for a time, securing what 
he could in the way of scholastic train- 
ing, then went to work on a farm as a 
hired hand. By this means, and by dili- 
gent use of his every opportunity for 
the acquisition of useful knowledge, he 
gained a thorough mastery of agricul- 
tural pursuits, and as they were suited 
to his taste and capacity, he determined 



HISTOKY OP SHELBY COUNTY 



667 



to devote his life to them. He has ad- 
hered to this resolution to the present 
time (1910), and has won a gratifying 
success by doing so. He has an excel- 
lent farm, which is well improved, highly 
cultivated and very productive. His 
special industry, however, is raising 
good breeds of live stock for the mar- 
kets, and to this he gives the greater 
part of his attention and care, making 
every effort to keep his output up to the 
highest standard of excellence and main- 
tain the good reputation it has wherever 
he is known. 

Mr. Stover was married in 1882 to 
Miss Kittie Arnett, a daughter of Maca- 
jah Arnett, of Kentucky, and Judith 
(Frances) Arnett, a native of Virginia. 
They came to Missouri at an early day 
and located in Shelby county, where 
Mrs. Stover was born. She and her hus- 
band were the parents of four children, 
of whom three are living: Sybel, Neva, 
the wife of James Coi^enhaver, and Mil- 
dred. In politics the father is a life- 
long Democrat, with an abiding interest 
in the welfare of his party and an en- 
ei'gy and intelligence in effort ever 
ready for its service. He has rendered 
the people excellent service as a mem- 
ber of the school board for more than 
fifteen years, and in every other way 
available to him has contributed to their 
benefit and the advancement of the town- 
ship and county in which he lives. His 
religious connection is with the Chris- 
tian church, and he has been one of the 
elders of the congregation to which he 
belongs for many years. He takes a 
great interest and a leading part in 
church work, and his activity in this be- 
half is highly appreciated by all church 



people, as his energy and progressive- 
ness as a citizen are by the whole com- 
munity and all classes of its residents. 

JOHN D. EDWAEDS. 

The last survivor of his father's 
household and representing the fourth 
generation of his family that has been 
loyal to the American flag and helped to 
develop and build up the country in 
peace and defend it in war, John D. 
Edwards, of Clay townshij) in this 
county, is a shining link in the chain 
which connects the present day with our 
remote and historic past. His great- 
grandfather, William Edwards, was a 
native of Wales, and brought his family 
to this country in colonial times, locat- 
ing in Virginia. He was a tailor and 
made clothing for General Washington. 
He joined the Colonial army and fought 
valiantly under the great commander for 
American independence. 

His son, also named William, the 
grandfather of John D., was also born 
in Wales and came to America with his 
parents in his cliildhood. After he grew 
to maturity he moved to Kentucky, 
where he farmed for many years and 
where he at last laid down his trust. In 
that state the third William Edwards 
in direct descent, the father of John D., 
whose life story is our present theme, 
was born and reared on the farm. He, 
also, was a farmer, and, after following 
his chosen occupation in his native state 
some years, came to Missouri in 1856 
and located in Clay township, Shelby 
county. His wife was Miss Eliza David- 
son, a native of Tennessee, and they had 
twelve children, all now deceased but 



668 



HISTOEY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



John D. The father died in 1868 and 
the mother in 1874. 

Before coming to Missouri the family 
lived for a number of years in Schuyler 
county, Illinois, and there John D. Ed- 
wards was born in 1841. He attended 
the district schools near his home and as- 
sisted his father on the farm, taking an 
earnest interest in the welfare of the 
family and doing all he could to helji it 
along. At the age of fifteen he accom- 
panied his parents to this state and re- 
mained with them until he attained his 
majority. In August, 1862, he enlisted 
in Company B, Ninety-first Illinois Vol- 
unteer Infantry, in defense of the Union, 
and was soon afterward in the midst of 
unrolling columns on some of the historic 
battle fields of our Civil war. He took 
part in the battles of Mobile, Fort Blake- 
ley and others of importance, and also 
in many minor engagements. 

After the close of the war Mr. Ed- 
wards returned to his Missouri home, 
and for a time worked at the carpenter 
trade, of which he had previously ac- 
quired some knowledge. He then again 
turned his attention to farming, and con- 
tinued his operations in that line until 
1899, when he retired from all active pur- 
suits. He was married at Shelbyville on 
Februaiy 10, 1867, to Miss Elizabeth 
Delmer, a daughter of Sebastian and 
Mary Dehner, natives of Germany, who 
came to this country and Missouri many 
years ago and located in Shelby county, 
where Mrs. Edwards was born and grew 
to womanhood. She and her husband 
became the parents of six children, five 
of whom are living : James E., who mar- 
ried Miss Louisa Bowman; Eliza, the 
wife of Hugh Wheeler; Milby I., whose 



wife was Miss Fanny Eliza Copenhaver ; 
John F., who married Miss Grace Al- 
bright, and Nina K., the wife of Charles 
Getchal. They are all upright and use- 
ful citizens, and are everywhere esteemed 
highly as such. 

In political faith and allegiance the 
father is a pronounced Eepublican, with 
an earnest interest in the welfare of his 
party, and a heart and hand ever ready 
to promote its success. He keeps alive 
the agreeable and reminiscent features 
of his military service, without the bit- 
terness of feeling that prevailed during 
the experiences they recall, by zealous 
and active membership in the Grand 
Army of the Republic. He is also a 
member of the Methodist church. In the 
affairs of the townshija and county he has 
always taken an earnest interest, mani- 
festing this in a practical way by giving 
the people excellent service as a member 
of the school board for upwards of five 
years. 

WILLIAM K. GUNBY. 

All of the sixty-three years so far 
passed in the life of this enterprising 
and progressive farmer of Clay town- 
ship, Shelby county, have been spent in 
the county except those which found him 
a soldier in the Union army during the 
Civil war, and they have all been em- 
ployed in usefulness to the locality in 
which he lived since he arrived at years 
of discretion and the power to labor and 
produce. He was born in Shelby county 
in March, 1847, and is a grandson of 
Kirk Gunby, a native of IVIaryland who 
commanded a regiment of the Colonial 
troops at the Revolutionary battle of 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



669 



Monmouth. His youngest son, Stephen 
Gunby, the father of William K., was 
also born and reared in ^Maryland, where 
his life began in 1817. He came to Mis- 
souri in 1836, when he was but nineteen 
years old, and took up his residence in 
Shelby county. Here he became a farmer 
of prominence and won a substantial es- 
tate by his industry, thrift and good 
management. 

In 1846 he was married to Miss Mary 
Ann Coard, also a native of Maryland, 
where her father, William Coard, also 
was born. Of the five children born of 
the union only two are living, William 
K. and his brother, Thomas Samuel. 
Their mother died in 1859, and in 1860 
the father married Miss Elizabeth 
Bynum, who is still living. By her mar- 
riage to Mr. Gunby she became the 
mother of four children : Martha, the 
wife of A. Crutchcoin ; Isabella, the wife 
of E. McEea ; Elizabeth, the wife of Wil- 
liam Holl^^nan, and Anna, the wife of 
W. H. McRea. 

William K. Gunby attended the dis- 
trict school at Bacon Chapel, and later a 
private school in Shelbina. He then 
passed five or six months in the study 
of law, but not finding this to his taste, 
abandoned the profession and became a 
farmer. He has adhered to his chosen 
occupation ever since and has been very 
successful in it. His farming operations 
are extensive and are conducted with 
great vigor, intelligence and a wide and 
accurate knowledge of the requirements 
of the soil and the demands of the mar- 
kets. The fai'm is well improved with 
commodious and comfortable buildings 
and fully provided with everything 



needed for cultivating it in an intensive 
and highly productive manner, and it 
makes excellent returns to the persi;asive 
hand of skillful husbandry which con- 
trols it. 

Mr. Gunby was married in 1869 to 
]\Iiss Perthrah Jackson, a daughter of 
Thomas and Mary Jackson, natives of 
Tennessee who came to Missouri many 
years ago and located in Shelby county, 
where Mrs. Gunby was liorn and reared, 
and where she obtained her education. 
She and her husband became the parents 
of five children, four of whom are liv- 
ing: Stella Augusta, Lily Irene, the wife 
of Ford Brown ; Clara Ethel, and Lanius 
Wesley, a Methodist minister in South- 
ern Califoi'nia. 

During the Civil war the father en- 
listed in the Union army in Company 
D, Fourteenth Missouri Cavalry, serv- 
ing as a ]3rivate soldier. In his political 
faith and activity in national affairs he 
is allied with the Democratic party., and 
active in its service. But in local affairs 
his first consideration is the good oi che 
township and county, and partisan in- 
terests are always secondary, if they are 
taken into the account at all. He served 
faithfully and acceptably as a member 
of the school board upwards of five years, 
and was also road overseer for a num- 
ber of years. In religious afifiliations he 
is allied with the Southern Methodist 
church, and for many years has taken 
very active part in all church work, hold- 
ing in succession every office in the gift 
of the congregation to which lie belongs. 
His wife died on July 15, 1908, after 
nearly forty years of commendable do- 
mestic life. 



670 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



WILLIAM T. HAET. 

The chances and changes of location 
and employment are many and various 
in American life, and so extensively nu- 
merous that a man who starts in one 
occupation at twenty or twenty-one is 
very frequently found pursuing- a dif- 
ferent one at forty. The career of Will- 
iam T. Hart, of Shelbina, one of the best 
known and most esteemed livery men 
and horse dealers in this part of the 
state, furnishes a striking illustration of 
the general truth of this statement. He 
began life for himself as a farmer and 
live stock man, occupations to which he 
had been reared, and is now conducting 
an active business in the service of the 
public and carrying on an extensive 
trade in horses. 

Mr. Hart is of old Kentucky stock, his 
father and his grandfather having been 
born and "bred in old Kentucky," and 
it may be due to this fact that he is so 
fond of horses. The fathei', James T. 
Hart, came to Missouri to live in 1846. 
He located in Monroe county, where he 
taught school for a number of years. He 
then turned his attention to farming and 
also to dealing in tobacco in Shelbina. 
His son, William T. Hart, was born in 
this county on March 2, 1857. The father 
was a successful farmer and merchant, 
and a man of prominence and influence 
in the several communities in which he 
lived. He lived a useful life, was a de- 
vout member of the Methodist church, 
and died in 1898. 

He was married twice. The first time 
to a Miss Kerrick, a native of Kentucky. 
They had three children, all of whom are 
deceased. Their mother died in 1850, 



and in 1853 the father married a second 
time, being united on this occasion with 
Miss Elizabeth Doctor, who was born in 
Ohio. Six children were born of this 
union, all of whom are living : John T., 
a resident of this county; William T., 
whose home is in Shelbina ; W. H., who 
lives in Knox county, Missouri; S. P., 
who is a prosperous citizen of California ; 
Harriet, the wife of H. W. Frye, of Kan- 
sas City, Missouri; and F. B., who is a 
resident of Monroe county, this state. 
Their mother died in March, 1898. 

William T. Hart had no educational 
facilities except those furnished by the 
district schools of Monroe county, and 
was not allowed to attend them with 
strict regularity or for a very long 
period. The work on his father's farm 
required every force available, and he 
was obliged to take his share of it at an 
early age. After finally leaving school 
he continued to work for his father on 
the home place a few years, then located 
on a farm of 340 acres and began farm- 
ing and raising live stock on his own ac- 
count, the farm being located in ^lonroe 
county. His operations were extensive 
in both industries on this farm, but he 
gave especial attention to raising and 
feeding large quantities of stock for the 
markets. 

In 1907 he moved to Shelbina and be- 
gan the career as a livery and horse 
salesman, for which he has become dis- 
tinguished throughout a large extent of 
the surrounding country. His barn is 
well equi2)ped for its purposes, the serv- 
ice given its patrons is first class, and 
everything pertaining to it is up to the 
highest level of excellence in the busi- 
ness. His dealings in horses are exten- 



HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY 



671 



sive, and these, too, are governed by the 
most scrupulous exactness and alto- 
gether satisfying to those who have a 
share in them as purchasers. He con- 
ducts his business as a horse dealer in a 
way that removes from his transactions 
the reproach often attached to this line 
of mercantile life and raises it to a rank 
which has won him high approval and 
general popularity. 

On February 25, 1878, Mr. Hart was 
united in marriage with Miss Belle Rob- 
ertson, a native of this state. They have 
had four children, two of whom are liv- 
ing. James, who resides in Shelbina, 
and Carl, who is still at home with his 
parents. The father is a Democrat in 
politics, an Odd Fellow and a Modern 
Woodman of America in fraternal life, 
and he and his wife are members of the 
Methodist church in religious connec- 



tion. His party, his lodges and his 
church receive a fair share of his atten- 
tion, and their interests always have his 
earnest and helpful support. 

The affairs of his city and county also 
enlist his attention and have the benefit 
of his advice and assistance. No enter- 
prise for their improvement or the wel- 
fare of their people escapes his notice or 
goes without his aid. He is public 
spirited and progressive, desiring ad- 
vancement for his community only along 
wholesome lines of progress and its ele- 
vation only by means of enduring value. 
He stands well in the city and county, 
and is favorably known and regarded as 
a man and citizen in much of the adjoin- 
ing territory, and wherever else the peo- 
ple have knowledge of his worth, his en- 
terprise and his devotion to his state. 



